Chapter 142: The Boundless Origin Art
The sun stood high at its zenith, casting short shadows and bathing Oakwood City in a golden hue. The streets shimmered with heat, and a dry breeze swept lazily through the city, stirring the flags hanging from vendor stalls. Beneath the midday sun, the Thousand Beasts Pavilion bustled with its usual activity—an endless stream of cultivators and merchants moving in and out, some bearing smiles of satisfaction, others wearing frowns or neutral indifference.
Among them, a young man in azure robes stepped calmly through the grand entrance, his expression serene—like a still lake untouched by wind.
Su Tianhao.
After receiving Lu Qingran and Lan Er's assistance, acquiring the materials needed to repair Blood Grin's spatial ring had gone surprisingly smoothly. Within minutes, he was done.
'Now that I have everything ready, it's time to see what good fortune lies within that ring.'
---
He made his way back to the Su family estate without detour. A few nods at the gate guards, brief acknowledgment of the inner residence staff, and then straight through to Fei Wu Quarter. The looks that followed him—awe, envy, respect—he ignored entirely.
What mattered now was unlocking Blood Grin's spatial ring.
Tap... Tap...
His footsteps echoed faintly through the vast, eerily quiet expanse of Fei Wu Quarter—abandoned and still, like a forgotten memory.
Soon, Su Tianhao arrived at his courtyard.
And froze.
The fallen leaves that usually littered the stone floor were gone. The ground was clean, cleared of the dust and debris from his intense training sessions. The shattered remains of the Martial Adept-level training dummy—once strewn across the yard like dismantled wreckage—had been gathered and stacked neatly behind the oak tree. And the broken wall of his house, damaged during his battle with Blood Grin, had been patched.
For a moment, it felt like someone else's home.
"Woah..." Su Tianhao exhaled softly, golden eyes sweeping the space. His mind moved through the possibilities—and settled on one name almost immediately.
Xie Ling.
"That's right—I asked her to come here," he murmured, the realization arriving like sunlight breaking through a foggy morning.
Almost as if in answer, Xie Ling stepped out from the backyard, hands stained with dirt from weeding and tending to long-neglected flowers.
"Young Master!" She greeted him with a warm smile the moment their eyes met.
She glanced down at her hands, then around the courtyard. "I thought I should help out a little—to show my appreciation."
Su Tianhao's expression remained unchanged. "You don't have to do that."
"Why?" Xie Ling's voice softened with a trace of pain. "Is it because of..."
"No," Su Tianhao said firmly. "This has nothing to do with the past. I've already forgiven you—otherwise, I wouldn't have helped you in the first place."
Her expression relaxed immediately. If he hadn't truly forgiven her, would he have gone through the trouble of securing her freedom? Would he have cared whether Su Liang came after her?
Her lips curved into a quiet smile, eyes shimmering with emotion.
"Then why not let me help?" she asked gently.
Su Tianhao glanced at her dirt-covered hands. "Because I won't be staying here after today."
"What do you mean?" Xie Ling blinked. Then her eyes lit up. "You mean you're finally claiming your place as the Second Young Master? Getting your own proper courtyard?"
"No," Su Tianhao said, calm and resolute.
Xie Ling frowned. "No?"
He smiled faintly at her confusion. "That's right. I'm not going to stand as the Su family's Second Young Master. When I secured your freedom, Xie Ling—I secured mine too."
"You don't mean—" Her eyes went wide. She didn't dare finish the sentence.
"I do," Su Tianhao said quietly. "I'm leaving. Severing ties. I'll walk my own path—one that has nothing to do with the Su family."
Xie Ling was speechless. A long silence stretched between them before her voice finally returned—trembling.
"H-How did you manage it? With your potential, there's no way the family would simply let you go."
Su Tianhao shook his head calmly. "How I did it isn't your concern. What you should be thinking about is where you'll begin your new life."
He held her gaze for a moment. "Think about it."
With those parting words, he turned and walked toward his house, leaving her standing in the quiet courtyard beneath the weight of what he'd just said.
He stopped at the door, hand resting on the handle. "I have something to do inside. Please don't disturb me."
"Yes, Young Master," Xie Ling said softly, head lowered.
He gave a faint nod, pushed the door open, and stepped inside. It creaked, then closed behind him with a soft thud.
Xie Ling didn't move. Even minutes later, her eyes remained fixed on the closed door.
Eventually, she let out a long, quiet sigh—heavy with sorrow and regret.
She understood now. Even if Su Tianhao had truly forgiven her... their relationship was never going back to what it had once been.
---
Inside, Su Tianhao sat cross-legged in a lotus position on his bed, storage pouch resting beside him. Now that everything was in place, nothing could go wrong. He knew the method for repairing a damaged spatial ring—but knowledge alone didn't guarantee success.
Before beginning, he needed to fully assimilate the inscription knowledge stored within his inherited memories. Those insights would guide him through the task and mark his first true undertaking as an inscription master.
He closed his eyes and let his consciousness sink inward—into the vast, inherited depths. This time, instead of reaching for his mother's alchemy wisdom, he delved into his father's inscription arts.
The world of inscriptions unfolded before him—runes, formation settings, array constructions, every fundamental principle flowing into his consciousness like stars appearing in a dark sky one by one, filling in the shadows with quiet, steady light.
Time drifted by like mist through a silent valley—unnoticed, unhurried, yet always moving. Su Tianhao sat like a frozen statue, completely detached from the world around him. Seconds became minutes. Minutes became hours. And as the hours passed, his understanding deepened—as if a sealed vault of ancient wisdom had slowly swung open, revealing what had long been buried.
By the time the evening sun cast long golden rays across the courtyard, Su Tianhao had fully assimilated all the inscription knowledge available to him from the first three unlocked layers. Even so, that foundation alone was enough to rival the theoretical knowledge of a grade four inscription master.
In theory, he had already surpassed many of them.
In practice, he was still far behind.
But theory was a beginning. And it was more than enough for the task at hand—repairing Blood Grin's spatial ring.
'Now that I'm fully prepared, it's time to find the right technique.'
His eyes snapped open.
Twin golden orbs gleamed with insight and profound clarity—reflecting the birth of a new mastery.
'And... I already know which one,' he added, lips curving into a faint smile as his consciousness sank inward once more.
This time, he didn't have to search long. A single technique surfaced—resonating deeply with something personal within him. It felt familiar. Almost unsettlingly so, as if he had practiced it countless times in another life.
But it wasn't his experience.
The one who had mastered this technique was Tunlong Chenyuan—his father.
And now, it was Su Tianhao's turn to carry that legacy forward.
The Boundless Origin Art.
The name echoed in his mind like a forgotten melody—hauntingly familiar. Su Tianhao didn't hesitate. He opened himself to it entirely.
---
The Boundless Origin Art—an ancient inscription technique said to have originated from the primordial era, when runes first merged with the fabric of the world. Unlike conventional inscription methods, which were limited by element, structure, or purpose, the Boundless Origin Art served as the foundation from which all inscription paths emerged.
It was not merely a technique. It was a philosophy—the very dao of inscription.
It embodied every known principle: array construction, formation setting, rune theory, spiritual resonance, elemental harmonization, and void etching. With this art, the inscriber did not simply form patterns.
They rewrote reality itself.
---
"What the—" Su Tianhao's breathing quickened. He had expected something extraordinary. Not this.
'Rewrite reality—what does that even mean?'
His mind raced, anticipation surging.
Then the next section of the technique pulled him back from his premature excitement.
---
The Boundless Origin Art remains shrouded in mystery—one that only the practitioner can uncover through their own mastery. It cannot be passed down through technique or explanation.
---
The words landed like cold water, defusing his excitement.
But Su Tianhao's heart bloomed with resolve rather than deflation.
'I never liked getting things handed to me anyway.'
His mind pressed forward.
---
Although the Boundless Origin Art is profound and very few masters have ever grasped even a fraction of it, its potential is limitless. Whether inscribing ancient inscriptions, setting up heavenly arrays, creating a grand formation or even restoring forbidden seals lost to time, its strength lies not in fixed forms but in evolution.
This is not a technique to follow—but one to comprehend. A boundless art that grows with its wielder.
---
Su Tianhao's eyes snapped open with a profound gleam in their golden depths.
"This is it."