Chapter 654: Organize

"This is Gale Street," Yun Lai explained. "In ancient terms, it's also known as the Human Market."

He swept his gaze across the crowd. "The people here are divided into three categories. The lowest group sells themselves, signing contracts to become slaves. The second group serves as attendants, obediently following their masters' orders. The best among them are those who rely on their skills to earn a living."

"Skills? Like teaching others how to cultivate?" someone asked.

"Exactly," Yun Lai replied. "They offer a range of expertise, such as Astral Formations, weapon crafting, combat techniques, identification, and more. But in a world where everyone is focused on cultivation, these skills are the least valuable. With just a few Creation Gold Coins, you can get them to share everything they know. What's truly valuable is cultivation knowledge and experience."

He continued, "However, those who end up in the Human Market are usually of limited ability. Take cultivation, for example. Reaching the first level is considered passable. Those who achieve the second level are already considered elites and are usually recruited long before they'd ever need to sell themselves. If they haven't been taken, they're unlikely to stoop to such desperation."

"The first level..." muttered Li Pin.

He recalled the difficulty he faced while cultivating the Primordial Supreme Technique.

Three to five years.

If he devoted all his time and energy to cultivation, he could potentially achieve the first level in just three years. To him, this didn't seem particularly difficult. But what allowed him to accomplish this in such a short time?

For one, he had solid cultivation talent.

While he wasn't born with a natural affinity for astral energy, his comprehension of cultivation techniques was remarkable.

Even figures like Si Xing and Xuan Jian acknowledged that his understanding rivaled that of the most gifted prodigies in the human path.

Additionally, his foundation as a Martial God gave him a significant advantage, making his progress far smoother than that of others.

Despite these advantages, it would still take him three years to complete the first level. This highlighted just how challenging this stage of cultivation truly was.

For other prodigies, achieving the same milestone typically took five to six years. For instance, Yu Xuexian, Yu Li, Gao Shengyan, and Yun Lai all required four to six stellar years to master the first level of their chosen Supreme Techniques.

If prodigies needed five to six years, what about those absolute geniuses? For them, even the slightest misstep in their cultivation path could mean failing to reach the first level within ten stellar years.

As for ordinary talents... aside from a few hidden gems, over ninety percent of them were destined to fail, never advancing beyond the first level.

"That Highlord clearly doesn't bother distinguishing between different levels of talent. He simply sweeps through large-scale martial tournaments and genius battles, gathering everyone indiscriminately. But there's a stark difference between common-born geniuses and those from aristocratic clans.

"The resources they have access to aren't even comparable. Many aristocratic geniuses shine in tournaments thanks to their abundant resources, ancestral guidance, or even outright connections. However, once they arrive in this world, their true abilities are inevitably exposed."

Yun Lai glanced further down the street. "Most of these people once held prestigious statuses. Back then, their positions earned them the title of 'genius.' Now, that very status has become the root of their downfall."

"I understand what you mean now," Li Pin replied.

He realized why Yun Lai had brought him here.

"Honestly, I know my actions may seem unnecessary. You're a Divine Being, but that doesn't mean you can't understand the situation. Still, being a Divine Being is difficult enough, let alone one recommended for the Eternal Ascent of Humanity Initiative. To reach this level as a Divine Being... just how exceptional must you be in certain aspects?"

Yun Lai looked at Li Pin and said, "I truly hope I won't lose sight of you by the end of these ten stellar years."

Li Pin nodded in acknowledgment.

Seeing that his words had gotten through, Yun Lai felt a sense of relief.

He shifted his gaze toward a nearby pavilion. A group of women with flawless beauty and unique temperaments was leaning against the windows, occasionally glancing down at the scene below.

"Care to join in the fun?" Yun Lai asked with a smile. "Honestly, after tens of thousands of stellar years, it's been a long time since I've felt this... human. It's oddly refreshing."

He paused, then added, as if to justify himself, "Though I suspect it's the influence of the Golden Land and its way of stimulating emotions and desires. But since the feeling is here, why not embrace it? Who knows, you might even gain some insight in the process."

Li Pin gave him a strange look.

The world had reduced their bodies back to mortal form, reigniting their primal desires. Nevertheless, their inner spirit remained intact, and their self-control was largely unaffected.

"This is just something you've always wanted to do, isn't it?" said Li Pin, chuckling.

"

Hahaha!

Back before I achieved anything in cultivation, I did have such hobbies. But over time, even hobbies can grow tiresome. Once I reached a certain level of cultivation, I simply moved on from them. Bringing this up now is just a way to reminisce and honor my past."

"Go ahead." Li Pin didn't mock him. Instead, he smiled. "Life is short. Do whatever you find meaningful."

"But I can't just leave you behind...."

"It's fine," Li Pin reassured him. "I'll have Zi Luo show me around. It'll be a good opportunity to truly understand this world."

Since Yun Lai had also spent a Gold Fragment on Zi Luo, he nodded and instructed her, "From now on, follow Li Pin's orders."

"I'll make sure to take good care of Senior Li," Zi Luo said with a respectful bow.

With that, Yun Lai waved his hand and strode confidently toward the high pavilion, where the women skilled in various arts awaited.

Li Pin turned to Zi Luo. "What cultivation method do you practice?"

"The Lightless Supreme Technique," Zi Luo replied.

"Supreme Technique..." Li Pin mused. "Seems like it's still the mainstream choice, after all."

"Except for a few races naturally inclined toward the Highlord or Transcendent paths, most mainstream races, including humans, choose the Supreme Path as their way forward. Since everyone follows the same path, it fosters greater opportunities for exchange. At the very least, when encountering bottlenecks in cultivation, there's always someone to turn to for guidance."

Zi Luo exhaled slowly. "It's all about persevering until the final moment when hope arrives."

"How far have you come in your cultivation?" Li Pin asked.

"I'm currently trying to merge and unify the four forces, but I can only achieve a balance among three. Integrating all four into one still eludes me," Zi Luo explained.

She then offered, "If you're practicing the same method, I can share my insights on how to comprehend these four forces."

This was part of her service. Embracing the idea that external wisdom could enhance his own understanding, Li Pin nodded. He found a quiet spot to rest and listened attentively as she began her explanation.

Zi Luo had only been cultivating for a little over 310 stellar years. Her foundation wasn't considered exceptionally profound.Her rapid advancement to Tier Six Legend in less than a hundred stellar years was largely due to her privileged background in a prestigious aristocratic family.

Unlike the Yuan Yang Star Domain, where power was distributed among several aristocratic clans, the Crimson Radiance Star Domain was entirely dominated by the Great Spirit Empire.

Fourteen Eternal Solar Flares existed within the Great Spirit Empire. They were each renowned and formidable. They commanded their own islands in the Astral World, ruling over millions of beings. Compared to the aristocratic clans of the Yuan Yang Star Domain, they are far superior.

It was precisely because of this privileged environment that Zi Luo was able to become a Tier Six Legend in just eighty-three years and qualify for the Star Abyss Genius Battle.

After listening to her explanations for a while, Li Pin gained a clear understanding of her level. She was inferior to him, but her insights did broaden his perspective.

He then asked her to focus on explaining the cultivation process from the first to the second level of the Lightless Supreme Technique.

Zi Luo explained, "The four fundamental forces construct the universe, each interdependent and resonating with the others, forming a unified whole. The deeper one's understanding of these forces, the greater the enhancement and utilization of one's own power.

"This may not seem particularly significant within the confines of this 'Heavenly Prison,' but in the outside world, these forces can greatly amplify a cultivator's energy intensity and elevate their overall energy level.

"Mastering this realm means rapid progress in energy quality, reserves, and levels. Before reaching Eternal Solar Flare, there's no need to worry about these aspects."

Li Pin nodded. In the Astral World, energy and energy levels were never the most critical factors. Without control, excessive power in the Astral World was nothing but self-destruction.

"This path diverges from mainstream cultivation systems," Li Pin remarked.

Zi Luo smiled gently. "That's because these methods are designed for cultivators who have already condensed their True Spirit and achieved Cosmic Radiance. Once the True Spirit is formed, control is no longer an issue."

Li Pin nodded again. Reflecting on his plan to construct a universe using himself as the "Dao," he began to see a clearer path.

The four fundamental forces? Everything in existence was governed by these four forces. He recalled the Black Abyss Highlord Technique's interpretation of them. According to the technique, the four forces were inherently unified, forming a singularity.

The apparent separation of the four fundamental forces arises from the limited perceptual capabilities of humans.

Guided by this understanding, Li Pin dedicated years to exploring the essence of these forces. He drew parallels with the ancient philosophical concept: "Dao begets One, One begets Two, Two begets Three, and Three begets all things."

Humans, the sun, the moon, the stars, and all matter and energy in the universe were part of "all things." By using "all things" as a foundation to harness the four fundamental forces, one entered the stage of "Three begets all things," which represented the initial step on the Highlord's path toward tracing the origins.

Beyond this lay the Grand Unification Realm, which embodied the duality of unity and separation, corresponding to the stage of "Two begets Three." This state was akin to the legendary immortals who could "gather and disperse at will."[1]

Ultimately, when complete unification was achieved, the forces collapsed into a singularity, aligning with the stage of "One begets Two."

Beyond that lay the fourth level of the Highlord Technique. However, Li Pin was not pursuing the Highlord path; he was advancing toward the Supreme Path. This meant the four fundamental forces had to be redefined.

"Matter, energy, mental spirit, and inner spirit."

This was the framework Li Pin had chosen. These four forces—matter, energy, mental spirit, and inner spirit—formed the essence of "self," drawing upon the power of one's own "Dao" to lay the foundation for constructing a universe.

Li Pin had been stuck at this bottleneck, unable to achieve complete resonance among these four forces, which kept him trapped at the first level.

But now....

"Time is running out. Besides, it's time to push my cultivation further and earn more Creation Gold Coins. Perhaps their power can help me break through this barrier."

With this in mind, Li Pin resolved to advance to the next stage upon his return.

1. This is about a Daoist philosophy. In simpler terms, it symbolizes the ultimate freedom and mastery over forces of nature, where one can unify or separate them as easily as thought. In our context, that is, the four fundamental forces. ☜