Five years passed in the blink of an eye.
Su Yuan calmly sipped tea while perusing an ancient text.
Beside him, Yin Jiuzong smiled and explained, "This batch of books was excavated from an ancient ruin. There was a complete restriction barrier there initially—we thought it was a treasure trove. But when we opened it, all we found were miscellaneous texts. Our Yin Family acquired the originals, which are the texts you see before you. Though they contain no cultivation knowledge, they do describe the customs and legends of ancient times. I hope Elder Su finds them enjoyable."
Su Yuan nodded. "Your Yin Family truly has its ways, managing to uncover such ancient texts. It must have cost a considerable amount of spirit stones, no?"
"Haha, our Yin Family has always had a passion for collecting texts. Since you needed them, I brought them over! A few spirit stones mean nothing," Yin Jiuzong replied cheerfully.
Su Yuan acknowledged with another nod. "You've done well these years."
Ever since establishing contact with him, the Yin Family had continuously supplied him with texts. Over the years, the number of texts they provided gradually dwindled—not because the Yin Family had grown lax, but because most available texts had already been gathered. This latest batch, excavated from an ancient ruin, was particularly rare.
After a brief moment of contemplation, Su Yuan retrieved a token from his pocket and handed it to Yin Jiuzong.
Yin Jiuzong immediately accepted it with reverence.
"This is my Seven-Star Token. If your Yin Family ever faces a calamity, you may activate it, and I will intervene once," Su Yuan said casually.
Yin Jiuzong's eyes lit up, and he promptly expressed his gratitude. "Thank you for this generous gift, Elder Su!"
Su Yuan waved him off. "You may attend to your duties now."
"Your disciple takes his leave!"
Yin Jiuzong withdrew respectfully, carefully storing the token in his storage pouch before hurrying away.
Upon returning to his family, he presented the token to the Yin Family Patriarch. The token was then enshrined in the family's most secure location, guarded personally by the family elders.
This token became the Yin Family's ultimate lifeline. Its mere existence ensured the family's safety and stability—its unactivated state was even more valuable than its activated one!
As expected, neighboring families who caught wind of this news began treating the Yin Family more favorably. Without anyone noticing, the Yin Family's influence grew several times over!
In Cave Dwelling No. 6...
Su Yuan spent several days flipping through the texts. The last one in his hands was a collection of legends. As he read, he couldn't help but marvel.
This text had been considered a legend even in ancient times. By now, it could only be described as mythology.
"According to this, when the world was first formed, the Green Vine Continent was merely a fragment of an enormous landmass. After a great war between humans and immortals, the landmass shattered and sank into the sea, leaving only a small fragment that became the Green Vine Continent."
Su Yuan was speechless. The Green Vine Continent was far from small—it was larger than millions of past Earths combined. That such a vast landmass was referred to as a "fragment" was unimaginable. It didn't seem like something that belonged in the mortal realm, so he dismissed it as mere legend.
Su Yuan stroked his chin, his fingers tracing the characters for "Great War Between Humans and Immortals." Did this refer to battles among human immortals, or between humans and immortals?
Suddenly, the entry 【Duty in Peril】 on his system panel lit up, flashing as if awaiting activation.
Su Yuan frowned.
This was the first time 【Duty in Peril】 had changed on its own!
He had always assumed it was a passive entry, never expecting it could be actively triggered.
Without hesitation, he focused his intent on the entry.
In the next instant, a bolt of lightning seemed to flash before his eyes.
"Ascension... is a lie!" A desolate voice, as if traversing time itself, pierced through from the distant past!
The voice flooded Su Yuan's consciousness, threatening to shatter his very soul.
At that moment, the entry 【Great Talent's Bearing】 flickered, shielding him from the oppressive force.
Su Yuan staggered briefly before regaining his senses—only to find the ancient text in his hands spontaneously combusting!
As he watched the flames consume the book, Su Yuan recalled the vision triggered by the entry's activation. He realized he had stumbled upon an earth-shattering revelation.
Then, he noticed that among the threads of consciousness in the entry 【Mind Echo】, a new strand had appeared, stretching beyond the heavens.
Su Yuan immediately activated it.
His consciousness seemed to accelerate violently, soaring beyond the nine heavens.
The earth shrank beneath him as his consciousness pierced through the celestial layers, arriving in a region crackling with lightning.
At the center of this tempest lay a solitary island, upon which slumbered a giant composed of stone. Lightning wreathed its form, and with each breath, bolts of thunder roared outward, spreading to form a sea of lightning!
The Lightning Giant suddenly opened one eye in its slumber, its stony brow furrowing as it glanced downward before closing its eye again.
Su Yuan's consciousness instinctively stilled as he observed the giant, his mind brimming with questions.
Stealthily, he triggered the entry 【Great Talent's Bearing】.
Instantly, his aura surged explosively!
From Void Refining to Unity, then Tribulation Transcendence, and finally Great Ascension—until, in the next moment, it broke through to an indescribable realm. He could faintly perceive a certain will of the heavens turning its gaze toward him!
Without hesitation, he deactivated 【Great Talent's Bearing】 and immediately withdrew from the 【Mind Echo】 state.
The Lightning Giant's eyes snapped open. It glanced at the sky and muttered disdainfully, "Mortal Realm's Heavenly Dao? I'm outside your jurisdiction. Why are you staring at me?"
The oppressive intent dissipated.
"Nonsense," the Lightning Giant scoffed before closing its eyes and resuming its slumber.
Back in Cave Dwelling No. 6...
Su Yuan opened his eyes.
He was startled to find his body drenched in cold sweat.
What kind of existence was that Lightning Giant?
"There's actually a Lightning Giant above the mortal realm! What is it doing there?"
"That ancient text was destroyed by it, wasn't it? What is it trying to conceal?"
As Su Yuan pondered, a system notification chimed.
【Ding, Lifespan +100,000】
Su Yuan's eyes widened as he scrutinized the notification—his lifespan had indeed increased by a full 100,000 years!
He was utterly stunned.
"Is this the 【Duty in Peril】 entry's feedback?"
"What exactly did I do just now? There was indeed a crisis, but I didn't do anything—just took a peek using 【Mind Echo】."
After some thought, Su Yuan realized he must have inadvertently avoided some catastrophic danger, hence the massive lifespan reward.
A 100,000-year lifespan was no small matter.
As the lifespan integrated into his body, immediate changes became apparent. A profound sense of fulfillment welled up from the depths of his being.
His body seemed to brim with newfound vitality!
Spiritual energy surged into him from all directions—not converting into true essence, but seeping into his bones and deepest bloodstream!
With a thought, Su Yuan summoned the sixth-grade cave treasure, Floating Sky Pot, above his head. A sixth-grade Yuan Pool Array activated as he waved his hand, summoning a mountain of spirit stones around him. The array automatically absorbed and refined them into pure spiritual liquid, which poured into Su Yuan's body.
The spiritual liquid flooded his bones, triggering an incredible transformation!
His bones shifted from white to jade-like, then gradually took on a golden-jade hue!
Three full days passed before the skeletal metamorphosis completed. Golden-jade bones now coursed with crimson-gold blood, replacing his original red blood.
Su Yuan became drenched in discarded blood as his physical aura steadily intensified.
The entire process occurred autonomously, requiring no intervention from him.
The crimson-gold blood began remodeling his flesh, imbuing it with golden hues. Even his heart and brain grew exponentially more robust.
When the transformation finally concluded, Su Yuan felt his sensitivity to spiritual energy skyrocket.
Metal, wood, and fire attribute energies now flocked to him as if sentient!
Simultaneously, he could clearly perceive other attributes—water, earth, wind, thunder, lightning, ice, darkness, light, and more!
It was as if a heavy veil had been lifted from his eyes, revealing the world in crystal clarity!
"Such overwhelming vitality!" Old Qian finally spoke up. "What exactly happened to you? You suddenly gained such immense vitality—like a born divine beast! Even your talents have multiplied!"
"Heh, it's nothing."
Su Yuan chuckled, understanding Old Qian's meaning. His lifespan had inexplicably increased by 100,000 years!
This wasn't just about longevity—to sustain such a lifespan, his body needed corresponding foundational upgrades! The system didn't merely tack on years;it fundamentally enhanced his physical essence!
And what creature with a 100,000-year lifespan could possibly have poor aptitudes? Thus, his talents had risen to match those of a supreme lifeform—perhaps even the weakest among them, but still far surpassing any human!
This was a leap in life hierarchy.
Su Yuan never imagined stumbling upon such an opportunity!
Crisis! It wasn't just about danger—it also concealed fortune!
Though this crisis wasn't one Su Yuan had sought, having survived it, he intended to fully enjoy its benefits.
"This entry's potential far exceeds my expectations!" Su Yuan took a deep breath, his expression grave.
This time, he had merely been fortunate. That Lightning Stone Giant's power surpassed mortal limits. That he still lived was sheer luck.
"Best to lay low. The outside world is far too dangerous!"
As Su Yuan familiarized himself with his new body, he found that with each breath, vast amounts of spiritual energy rushed into him. When he gazed at the world, strands of energy seemed to whisper secrets, as if cosmic truths lay bare before him.
Suppressing the urge to cultivate immediately, Su Yuan calmly sat back down, steadying his mind.
His demeanor returned to its usual tranquility, as if nothing had happened.
Yet his mental state had undeniably elevated through this ordeal.

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