Chapter 213 – The Secret Technique of Guiding!
"Of course. Once you master the Secret Technique of Guiding, you'll wield a true method of willpower attacks—you'll be able to draw upon the power of Original Sin..."
"This is a trial against the soul itself. During the process, your willpower will 'take root' within you, erupting outward as indiscriminate attacks, unleashing soul-shattering impacts of Original Sin. With willpower as strong as yours, at the level of a Universe Master, ninety-nine percent of the beings on this continent would suffer."
The Seraph's words brought Jiang Zhe's thoughts back to the original story, when Luo Feng cultivated the same technique from the Array of Origins. His godly body exploded with a storm of willpower that stunned even a group of Universe Masters.
My willpower isn't as strong as Luo Feng's was back then. The "Chapter of Sin" is certainly inferior to the Array of Origins... but knocking out a few Universe Venerables shouldn't be a problem.
With that in mind, Jiang Zhe immediately dismissed the idea of staying at headquarters—or returning to the Primal Universe to play the role of a "problem child."
Yes, both were absolutely safe places, ideal for uninterrupted cultivation. But that wasn't his way.
"I understand. I'll look for another secluded place to train."
He turned his head toward Oriana, who stood quietly at his side.
"Anna, find me a desolate starfield near headquarters. It needs to be at least several thousand, preferably tens of thousands, of light years across, completely devoid of life."
Oriana quickly consulted the star map, then answered:
"Master, approximately 3.47 million light years from company headquarters, there's a starfield that matches your requirements."
"Good. We'll head there immediately. Prepare everything—we leave at once."
The next day, the Jade Tiger departed from the docking bay of continent 9134, within the Virtual Universe Company's headquarters.
Instead of using a spatial passageway, the ship accelerated to lightspeed after leaving the continent and slipped into the Dark Universe.
No one dared to follow openly within headquarters territory. And once inside the Dark Universe, even a delay of a few breaths would create an immeasurable gap between pursuer and target. Jiang Zhe's trail disappeared completely.
Helrod Mystic Realm, within the depths of the Silent Wind Belt.
The silver-robed Jiang Zhe piloted his ship into the crust of a barren planet, waiting patiently for his true body to begin cultivating the Secret Technique of Guiding.
He too was eager to master a real willpower attack method.
The so-called Raindrop Style, which had allowed him to manifest the "Thor Avatar," was nothing more than a superficial trick, hardly worth mentioning.
His true body had acquired a pseudo-willpower attack in the Abyss of Purgatory—an improvised method born from innate mutation, not a technique that could be studied.
Even though this silver incarnation lacked a soul, it still possessed willpower. In fact, everything in the Origin World—whether soul-bearing or not—had willpower.
In the Original Universe, races like the mechanicals, the energy-born, metal-based, and stone clans were immune to soul attacks, yet still had willpower. Luo Feng had once exploited that very fact.
Especially with the "Ancient God Eye," he had ambushed many alien Universe Masters.
Now, the same opportunity stood before Jiang Zhe.
Thus, the silver-robed incarnation suspended its exploration of the Silent Wind Belt—for now.
Meanwhile, Jiang Zhe's true body entered the desolate starfield, nearly 18,000 light years in diameter. At its core, he selected a massive planet and buried the Primordial Umbrella deep within its core.
With his two avatars, Candlelight and the Demon, he entered the inner space of the umbrella. Each separated into their own chambers, isolated from one another.
No guardian was necessary. Once they began cultivating the Secret Technique of Guiding, none of them would remain conscious. Even the silver incarnation, due to their shared soul, would fall into the same state.
Oriana could not stay to guard either. She had long since returned to the Thunder Realm.
Though she lacked a soul, even she would faint under the impact of a Universe Master's willpower storm. Leaving her behind would be pointless.
Before cultivating the technique, Jiang Zhe had to "fine-tune" his soul.
Consume Source Blood? Draw closer to Original Sin?
Before acquiring the Spirit Seeding Technique, he might have followed that path. But now, he preferred his own way.
The Spirit Seeding method was far more elegant than the crude approach of consuming resources.
From the Codex of Life, he summoned vast quantities of Source Blood, neatly arranging them before him with the power of his world.
Eight categories: gold, wood, water, fire, earth, wind, lightning, and light.
Each aligned with different facets of Original Sin—not one-to-one, but weighted toward a primary sin with secondary impulses, perhaps in an 8:2 ratio.
The Demon race, born of desire and obsession, perfectly embodied these traits. Prideful Ghosts, greedy Void Predators, lustful Serpent Demons, wrathful Flame Fiends...
They were mighty in flesh, yet leaned toward the soul—creations designed for the inheritance of the Chapter of Sin.
Jiang Zhe did not wish to abandon his own form and live as a demon.
Fortunately, the Spirit Seeding Technique allowed him to acquire their strengths without losing himself.
He would become a crucible, fusing the essence of all races, evolving again and again toward the perfect lifeform of the Origin World.
If the supreme laws hold an ultimate "Path of Evolution," then the Spirit Seeding Technique is surely its greatest scripture.
He began.
Step one: Harvest the soul traits of the demons, marking them with complex law-seals to preserve them.
Step two: Nurture these traits, imprinting further seals to harmonize them with his life-source and prevent rejection.
Step three: Graft them into himself.
And so, Jiang Zhe tirelessly repeated the process, until all eight types of demon soul traits were embedded within him. Then came the true transformation.
To seed is easy. To evolve, to let the soul unify and transform—that was the heart of the process. Without it, he would become nothing more than a stitched-together monster.
Calendar of Hanxia, Year 6772.
After nearly two centuries of seclusion, Jiang Zhe finally completed his metamorphosis.
When he opened his eyes, they gleamed with a brilliance that betrayed the change within. No longer mild, no longer chaotic, but filled with a strange allure.
His gaze alone could enthrall. One glance could awaken the Original Sin slumbering in another's heart—be it greed, pride, wrath, or sloth.
The perfect gift of a true soul-enchanter.
In that moment, Jiang Zhe's threat in the realm of the soul had reached its peak.
Within the Primordial Umbrella's inner world, the Demon incarnation of Jiang Zhe sat upon an emerald sphere. A blood-red horn protruded from his forehead as he summoned the Codex of Life once more.
He brushed its cover. A ray of light appeared, manifesting the Seraph at his side.
"How is my soul's affinity with Original Sin now?"
"Excellent," she replied. "You may begin cultivating the Secret Technique of Guiding."
Her surprise remained unspoken. His transformation rivaled the brutal method of bloodline replacement—and perhaps surpassed it. But she did not pry. Her duty was only to pass on the inheritance.
"The technique itself?" Jiang Zhe asked.
"Patience. I must warn you first."
He nodded calmly.
"There are two stages. Each emphasizes a different aspect. But failure at either means death."
His brows furrowed, but she raised a hand to silence him.
"First, the cultivation of willpower. You must let your will take root within your flesh, learning to unleash its full strength in attacks."
"Second, the cultivation of the soul. You will awaken a strange force of pure intent—a prerequisite to cultivating the Chapter of Sin."
"Only after both stages will you succeed. Then, you may draw me into yourself, and the complete Chapter will manifest in your mind."
Jiang Zhe asked at last: "And what causes failure?"
"Weakness of will. Fragility of soul."
He thought for a moment, then voiced his deepest concern:
"Does one's strength matter? If I were stronger—say, already a Universe Master—would my success rate increase?"
"No," the Seraph shook her head. "The technique I carry cares only for willpower. Not soul strength, not divine body, not cultivation realm. Only will."
"I see. Then I have no doubts. Show me the technique."
She nodded. With a gesture, the Codex of Life unfolded, projecting a vertical scroll into the air.
"Behold. This is the Secret Technique of Guiding."
Jiang Zhe's sharp gaze locked on the scroll. The alien script shimmered, already converted into the common tongue.
As a World Master, his memory was flawless. In an instant, every word was etched into his mind.
So that's how it is...
He pondered deeply, analyzing each step, until at last he began the cultivation itself.
The Seraph silently watched.
As Jiang Zhe entered the state, all his incarnations followed: the true body, Candlelight, even the silver form far away in the Silent Wind Belt.
Silent Wind Belt, deep within the Helrod Mystic Realm.
Even in the core of a planet, the winds screamed endlessly.
The silver incarnation sat cross-legged within his ship's cultivation chamber, face calm but body erupting with white arcs of lightning. They flashed again and again, each accompanied by waves of willpower radiating outward.
Thankfully, this was a forbidden zone. Otherwise, his Universe Master–level willpower shockwaves would have incapacitated nearly all who passed by. Only the most supreme of wills could withstand it.
As for Jiang Zhe's true body—
His foresight in hiding within the Primordial Umbrella was perfect. The umbrella's spaces were isolated, preventing his waves from leaking outside.
White arcs covered his body, flooding every cell, every strand of DNA, rooting themselves in his life's origin.
This first test—tempering willpower—was the easiest for him.
The Seraph herself had admitted as much, watching his progress.
The white arcs on the Demon incarnation gradually tinged pink... then deepened, darker and darker, until they burned crimson red.
That color shift marked his progress. When the arcs became blood-red, the first stage would be complete.
Normally, this rooting process should take more than two thousand years.
Jiang Zhe, however, compressed it into barely two centuries.
Calendar of Hanxia, Year 6997.
Blood-red arcs blazed across his body. Countless sparks connected, forming an ancient, unfathomable pattern.
BOOM!
A thunderous detonation erupted as the pattern exploded into countless motes of scarlet light, sinking into every inch of his flesh.
The final wave of willpower surged outward, then slowly faded.
The first stage of the Secret Technique of Guiding—complete.
The Seraph sighed in relief.
"The hardest part is done. The rest will be far easier. Master, your inheritance will not be wasted in your hands."
But before her voice faded, Jiang Zhe's face twisted in agony.
From his body poured a thick, black miasma of temptation, each strand forming a face identical to his own.
Seven of the largest were distinct—pride, greed, wrath...
The Seraph only watched, her eyes calm. She whispered:
"The second stage has begun."
"With his talent... he'll complete it even faster."
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