Section Eighty-Three: The Three Supreme Treasures of the Main World! [Four Thousand Words, Please Subscribe!]
[Main World Notice: You have discovered and slain a new breed of advanced demon! This high-level demon species possesses the ability to take human skin and perfectly disguise itself as a human, making it almost impossible to detect.]
[For your two outstanding contributions to the Main World, you have been awarded a Destiny Mark. With this mark, knowledge purchases are discounted by 20%; you may also view information beyond two major realms, and you now have access to the Diamond Forum!]
[The Main World has recorded this demon in its index. Please provide a name.]
As the notification sounded, the Walker Forum appeared before Lin Qiye. He noticed changes within the forum: the once plain white borders now gleamed gold, inlaid with auspicious clouds. Important information was highlighted in pale red, allowing Lin Qiye to read with greater efficiency.
At the same moment, an entry editor appeared before him. The video, images, and information about the triangular-brained monster were all present.
[Please provide a name:]
“Skin-Painter Demon.”
[Naming successful! Skin-Painter Demon is classified as an advanced race; only Walkers of Platinum rank and above may purchase its information. Each purchase costs 100 Walker Points.]
[Notice: The information on the Skin-Painter Demon remains incomplete. The Main World prefers not to expose details prematurely, for fear that this species will grow more vigilant and harder to find. Therefore, your entry will be hidden, inaccessible, unpurchasable, and you will not earn Walker Points from it.]
[However, the Main World will compensate you. Please choose one of the following three rewards:]
[First: A portion of the Main World’s Heavenly Tribulation Essence, which can perfect your Nine-Colored Divine Thunder Bone, awakening it fully and transforming it into the Pure Void Divine Thunder Bone (Minor Immortal grade).]
[Second: One hundred wisps of Ziwei True Qi, which can condense into a segment of Ziwei True Bone at your heart (Minor Immortal-grade technique). The Ziwei True Bone will form a defensive shield in your Fate, enough to withstand a powerful Destiny attack once.]
[Third: A map. Outside Li City lies a ruined temple buried deep underground. Within it exists a wisp of masterless immortal energy. If you can refine it, your “Dao Canon Art” will ascend, drawing upon the immortal energy to become a true celestial art. With this wisp, and by accumulating enough fortune, you can nurture a second, a third… (This map shows the safest route to the temple, but the dangers are such that only veteran Platinum Walkers can endure. Choose wisely.)]
Confronted with these three rewards, Lin Qiye fell silent. He detested having to choose between three options, especially when all were so tempting—pure torment!
Feigning innocence, Lin Qiye shook his head. “I think the best choice is to make the known information about the Skin-Painter Demon public. After all, its lethality isn’t that high. Sharing it with other Walkers benefits the entire Main World, making everyone more vigilant—why not?”
The Main World interjected hastily.
[Main World Analysis: The Skin-Painter Demon you encountered was a juvenile, not yet awakened to its innate abilities, which is why you could slay it easily. Adult individuals may already be widespread. If the information is revealed, they’ll grow much more cautious and harder to find.]
“I still think it should be published! Otherwise, the Skin-Painter Demons could infiltrate silently, burrowing into every major family. If the human elite are all replaced, what then?”
Lin Qiye’s righteous tone brimmed with selfless concern for all humanity.
[Main World Analysis: Some Skin-Painter Demons have already infiltrated the upper echelons of major families. Therefore, publishing is unwise.]
[Main World Analysis: Even with the information released, ordinary Walkers would not be able to identify these demons. You are needed to hunt them down yourself.]
[Main World Analysis: Your real aim is to claim all three rewards!]
Exposed, Lin Qiye remained unruffled. “I’m not interested in rewards; my priority is the welfare of all humanity.”
[Main World Analysis: Only the first two rewards can be granted.]
Lin Qiye pressed on, thick-skinned as ever. “Honestly, it’s not about the rewards. It’s about the future of humanity! I insist the information must be made public!”
There was a long silence.
[After careful consideration, the Main World agrees to your request. However, you must hunt down the Skin-Painter Demons lurking in the shadows one by one.]
The Main World relented. After all, Lin Qiye was the only Walker to have discovered the Skin-Painter Demons. Their abilities were so bizarre even the Main World had failed to notice any trace. In the worst-case scenario, perhaps Skin-Painter Demons already lurked across every human city, family, even among the ancient clans of Heavenly Court Island.
Thus, the Main World conceded.
When the three dazzling golden rewards appeared in his Fate Lamp Space, Lin Qiye’s heart leapt for joy. Outwardly, however, he maintained strict composure.
“Deal! I am willing to bear humiliation and sacrifice for all humanity!”
“But… have Skin-Painter Demons really infiltrated the upper echelons? Could there be some among the Academics?”
Lin Qiye frowned. “I’ll have to investigate when I have time.”
With that, he flickered into the training chamber. Once isolated from the outside world, the three golden rewards manifested before him, each radiating joy, delight, and an invigorating energy.
Lin Qiye smiled.
“To think that seeking a little revenge would land me such a bounty. This reward is more than ten Walks combined!”
With a carefree laugh, he spoke, “Main World Heavenly Tribulation Essence—absorb!”
At a thought, the Heavenly Tribulation Essence transformed into a golden stream, plunging into the center of his brow. Dense tribulation energy surged through him as billions of golden dragons flooded his limbs and bones. They scattered, each occupying one of his countless cells.
Legend said the human body’s three palaces and six mansions, with its 120 joints, housed 36,000 deities. Whether true or not, now every cell in Lin Qiye’s body was settled by a golden dragon. They coiled within, using the essence’s power to cleanse his cells, filling his body with the joyous sounds of billions of voices, running like electric currents throughout him.
His soul trembled with ecstasy.
Meanwhile, even more powerful golden dragons coiled within his bones. These dragons, superior to the previous milky-white divine thunder, devoured the old lightning and infused his bones with a potent dragon aura, as if his very skeleton had become that of a dragon.
“So this is the Pure Void Divine Thunder Bone? It surpasses the Diamond Realm, reaching the threshold of immortality—a Minor Immortal’s quality!”
Lin Qiye exhaled deeply. Wings unfurled behind him, shifting from milky-white to dazzling gold.
“So, my wings really do turn gold. That deity summoned by Chen Yihou must be my future self…”
He was astonished.
“But the future is uncertain—how could she summon me? For instance, today I encountered this new demon breed, which I couldn’t have predicted, nor could the Main World…”
He puzzled over this, but found no answer, and shook his head.
“I’ll know in time.”
He did not dwell further, instead merging the second golden reward—one hundred wisps of Ziwei True Qi—into his body.
Whoosh—
The stream of violet-gold qi swirled at his heart, gradually condensing into a tiny bone no bigger than a fingernail, yet it radiated an intimidating power.
After all, it took ten years under the influence of the Destiny Dragon to condense a single wisp of Ziwei True Qi from ten thousand innate qi. To gather one hundred and ten wisps required over a millennium.
Such was the rarity of Ziwei True Bone! Without the Main World’s reward, Lin Qiye might never have managed to condense even a sliver of it.
Gazing at the tiny segment of bone, Lin Qiye’s eyes shone with delight.
“The Ziwei True Bone adds an invisible layer of defense to my Fate. Now, even if the Wolf Lord attacks with Destiny, I needn’t fear, even without the Destiny Golden Dragon’s protection.”
Simply put, Lin Qiye now possessed a magical shield, immune to attacks on the level of fate and destiny—an immensely satisfying development.
He beamed. Moreover, immunity to magical harm was only one effect; the Ziwei True Bone also greatly boosted his healing and offensive abilities.
With only ten wisps of Ziwei True Qi before, attacking with it was like firing a bullet. Now, infusing it into his Wind-Thunder Sword Qi was like launching a missile—enough to seriously injure even a late-stage Nascent Soul expert caught off guard.
Lin Qiye nodded, satisfied.
“Excellent. These two rewards not only raised my foundation to the Minor Immortal grade, but also allowed me to condense a segment of Ziwei True Bone. My trump cards have grown by two, and neither is ordinary—they’ve boosted my talents to a terrifying degree!”
His gaze blazed with confidence.
“As for that wisp of immortal energy… With my current Golden Walker cultivation, I can’t risk it yet. I’ll need to wait until I reach late Platinum Walker.”
After studying the map, Lin Qiye dismissed the thought of exploring immediately. The world outside the city was far too dangerous—even Platinum Walkers would struggle, let alone someone of his rank.
Yet, the temptation of upgrading the “Dao Canon Art” to true immortal grade was immense. He clenched his knuckles, desire surging.
“To go, or not to go?”
For once, his usually cautious nature flirted with recklessness. But after much deliberation, he reined in his greed.
“The immortal energy is hidden in a subterranean temple, and without the map, others shouldn’t be able to find it. There’s no need to worry.”
“Best to wait until I’m stronger.”
He studied the map one last time before putting it away.
“Or… should I just dive into a Walk right now?”
His eyes lit up as he moved swiftly to the anchor platform, taking a deep breath, preparing for departure.
But in the next instant, a powerful sense of danger flooded his instincts.
Alarmed, he thought, “What’s happening? Why does the thought of entering a Walk fill me with such a strong sense of crisis? It almost feels as if, should I enter, I’d be trapped forever, never to return?”
Startled, he leapt away from the Soul Anchor Platform. His heart pounded as he stared at it. At that moment, the platform’s temporal energies grew chaotic and distorted, warping the space around it.
“What in the world is happening?”
He frowned, quickly leaving the training chamber and stepping outside the villa, gazing toward the location of the Rivers and Lakes Sect’s floating islands.
“Was it the battle over there that caused the Anchor Platform’s malfunction?”
He wondered.
At that moment, the Golden Walkers of the Rivers and Lakes Sect rushed to Li You’s side. The leading Walker, Liu Yan, was ashen-faced.
“Lord Li! Something terrible has happened! Someone snuck onto the islands and massacred fifty-three of them! Over three thousand five hundred Silver Walkers have been killed, and even seventeen Golden Walkers have fallen!”
Li You’s expression changed drastically. He retreated a kilometer, fury blazing in his eyes.
“How is that possible?! Who could destroy over fifty shields in such a short time?”
Liu Yan spoke rapidly, “My lord, the shields weren’t broken. The mysterious assailant somehow slipped through them without a sound!”
“Nonsense! Do you take me for a fool?” Li You roared, striking Liu Yan so hard that, although he was a fifth-stage Nascent Soul expert, he reeled and spat blood.
Clutching his face, Liu Yan’s eyes burned with hatred, but he dared not retort, only lowered his head in silent grievance.
“My lord, I speak the truth! They can all testify—the shields are intact, but the Walkers were beheaded.”
Li You paused, looking to the others.
At last, he was dumbfounded.
“There really is a mysterious powerhouse who can slip through the shields and slaughter thousands?”
“Yes…”
Hearing this, Li You gritted his teeth, his eyes red with hatred, a furious snarl rolling from his lips.
“Damn it! Who the hell did this?!”
His heart bled. Over three thousand five hundred Silver Walkers and seventeen Golden Walkers—one-third of his forces—were gone. They were his shield for advancing to the second stage of Unity. Without them, he would be vulnerable to demon attacks during his breakthrough.
He’d planned and prepared for this advance for ten, even twenty years. Now, two decades of effort were destroyed overnight.
Without these Walkers to shield him, his plans would be delayed by another twenty years. Alternatively, he could try to break through in a populous city, using its defenses to fend off the demons—but that was extremely risky. A Platinum Walker without enough treasures would not dare cross the Black Mist at random; the chance of death was nearly absolute.
With this realization, Li You’s composure shattered. He raged, his furious roars echoing to the heavens.
“Song Shu, Jiang Qingxue, this is a fight to the death!”
He glared at Song Shu and Jiang Qingxue, hatred boiling in his eyes.
“Fine. You dared destroy my plans of twenty years—then war it is! I’ll drag your Academics down with me!”
“All Golden Walkers—attack the Academics! Start war at any cost!”
A great battle was about to erupt…