Chapter 668: Reputation

"The fourth level involves the creation of a virtual universe, or a miniature universe, rooted in one's own understanding and mastery of power. This miniature universe simulates all transformations of matter, energy, time, and space within the cosmos."

Li Pin observed the intricate workings of these laws under the illumination of the Great Dao Radiance.

If the first level of the Supreme Technique allowed cultivators to grasp the four fundamental forces, the second level enabled them to coordinate and wield these forces with flawless precision. The third level involved compressing and refining these forces into a singular point.

Upon reaching the fourth level, these forces gained the capacity to evolve and expand indefinitely.

Their manifestations were no longer fixed or followed any discernible patterns.

Beyond mere matter and energy, time and space themselves became tools of immense power.

Cultivators at this level could distort space, bridging distances of billions of kilometers in an instant.

They could also manipulate time, causing events perceived by others as yet to occur to transpire immediately.

This manipulation transcended reaction speed—against those who could not access such power, an attack existed in only two states: it had either already happened or it had not.

No matter how swift one's reflexes or how acute one's perception, how could one evade something that had not yet occurred?

Yet, in the eyes of those who wielded this power, the event had already taken place, even if the target remained unaware.

Ultimately, those who mastered time and space held an insurmountable advantage over adversaries still confined to the realms of matter and energy. Battles were reduced to a state where an attack was an inevitable hit, and discovery meant destruction.

Li Pin thought about the immense disparity between cultivators at the fourth level and those below. "This is... a dimensional suppression."

There was simply no comparison.

Of course, a miniature universe was just that—a simulation, not a true universe.

The way their powers operate lacked the flawless perfection of an actual universe, nor do they possessed its boundless vastness and infinite energy, capable of annihilating entire star systems with ease.

This inherent limitation offered a glimmer of hope for those in the lower realms, allowing them a chance to survive.

It was also the reason why there have been rare instances where Cosmic Radiance Astral Gods have managed to overpower Monarchs.

However, such occurrences were exceedingly rare—so rare that one might not even witness a single case in an entire epoch. As a result, every Tyrant, Sacred Monarch, and Heavenly Emperor stood as the true ruler of the Astral World.

The leader of the Myriad Astral God Hall, who nominally ruled over all Astral Gods, was one such Heavenly Emperor.

"In theory, all I need to do is address the deficiency in my True Spirit, and I will have fully mastered the fourth level of the Supreme Technique. But..."

Li Pin paused.

This path... was flawed.

The evidence lay in the fact that the path he had forged on his own, which was only equivalent to the second level of the Primordial Supreme Technique, already exhibited a hint of the miraculous nature of the fourth level.

Compared to this power, the Great Dao Radiance... was itself a form of dimensional suppression.

"I have successfully developed a method centered around the Great Dao Radiance. Leveraging the foundation of the Primordial Supreme Technique, I have managed to advance it to the second level in one go."

A newly established technique could no longer bear the old name.

Thought Li Pin.

After pondering for a moment, he lifted his head and surveyed his surroundings.

Under the illumination of the Great Dao Radiance, the laws of the Heavenly Prison World flickered faintly, revealing their intricate workings.

Yet, even these laws were nothing more than simulations crafted by a Supreme being—a false construct.

These laws were not the only ones that were inauthentic. Even the Transcendent Arts and Highlord Techniques he had used as references were flawed.

"A universe constructed from false data is nothing more than a fake universe..."

Such a creation could not truly be called a universe—it was, at best, a fabricated space.

Li Pin initially named it "Virtual Space."

But he quickly realized the term was too generic and easily confused with other concepts. It also leaned too heavily toward the style of Transcendent Arts and carried a hint of the Void Faction's influence. After some thought, he revised it.

"Since the reference data itself is flawed, I'll call it—Phantom Space."

With the name settled, he promptly updated his status panel.

[Phantom Space: 2/4]

The Supreme Techniques, Transcendent Arts, and Highlord Techniques he had studied all consisted of four levels, so he set the upper limit at four. Having developed this technique to the second level, he marked his progress with a simple "2"—clear and straightforward.

As for why he didn't use "40" or "400"...

This technique was binary in nature: either you comprehended it fully, or you didn't. There was no intermediate state—only 0 or 1.

Li Pin smiled faintly. "From the Transcendent Realm of the Mara World, to the Dao Realm of the Void World, and now to the Phantom Space of the Heavenly Prison World..."

Regardless of the outcome, his journey to the Heavenly Prison World had already proven to be worthwhile.

He glanced at his Dao Realm value and updated it, increasing his progress by ten points.

[Dao Realm: 20/100]

Then, he turned his attention to another crucial value.

[True Spirit: 1/100]

"My talent in this area is truly lacking," he muttered.

His most exceptional gift—Clairvoyance—was utterly incapable of sensing the presence of True Spirit. In other words, he had no choice but to rely entirely on his own efforts to condense it.

This meant he was effectively forced to compete at the level of a "peerless genius," facing off against others, including those human prodigies.

Li Pin pondered.

If my talent for cultivating True Spirit is so limited, then I'll just have to follow this path step by step.

For those without innate talent in True Spirit, the only way to condense it was through secret arts—specifically, the inner spirit secret arts.

Li Pin made a quick calculation. "The Eternal Solar Flare realm corresponds to starting at the fortieth step on the Supreme Ladder. When one's energy and power level reach their peak, they can advance an additional ten steps.

"Mastering a complete set of Solar Flare Divine Item grants three more steps, wielding a Cosmic Radiance Divine Item adds another three, and possessing a set of Cosmic Radiance Divine Items provides an additional three—totaling nine steps, bringing one to the fifty-ninth step.

The remaining ten steps are divided into one step derived from combat experience and technique, while the final nine depend on the strength and mastery of inner spirit secret arts. Among these, standard inner spirit secret arts cap at four steps, Cosmic Radiance secret arts at six steps, and Supreme Secret Arts at nine steps..."

Perfecting Supreme Secret Arts alone could help one advance nine steps further on the Supreme Ladder.

Of course, following the increase in power, the gap between the sixty-first and sixty-ninth steps would no longer be as vast as that between the first and ninth.

It's just that once individuals achieved near-perfect mastery over their strength, even the slightest differences could be magnified infinitely.

In such cases, a one-step advantage could make the difference between victory and defeat, with no possibility of reversal.

The only variable influenced by the level of mastery was the battle's duration. What might have been resolved in mere moments could now extend across dozens, or even hundreds, of stellar years. During such prolonged conflicts, any unforeseen factor could shift the final result.

The longest Cosmic Radiance battle recorded in Astral World's history was said to have lasted an entire era.

"Cultivating an inner spirit secret art is no easy task. Wang Fuyun's Galactic Starburst has been in cultivation for over three thousand stellar years, yet it remains at the entry level, far from even reaching minor achievement. Its power is still inferior to that of fully developed standard secret arts..."

Ordinary secret arts could not guarantee success in True Spirit condensation. Cosmic Radiance Secret Arts had a high success rate but carried immense risks...

In contrast, the Supreme Secret Arts combined the strengths of both.

They were relatively low in danger and boasted a high likelihood of True Spirit condensation.

The only downside was its slow cultivation progress. But as for this issue...

Li Pin glanced around.

Countless Creation Gold Coins, still waiting to be consumed, were scattered across his training chamber. Those already used had dissolved into nothingness.

"Only 600 thousand coins spent," He muttered, "I still have around 1.4 million left. They should be quite useful in training inner spirit secret arts."

If all else failed...

He considered using the Grand Dao Radiance to simulate the fourth level of the Primordial Supreme Technique. If successful, it would allow him to complete the Level Four Cultivation Task and earn him a billion Creation Gold Coins.

But this approach was far from ideal.

If Sasha truly acknowledged his completion of the fourth stage of cultivation, there was a risk he might be sent out of the world immediately.

If that happened, how could he continue to utilize the exceptional cultivation resource, Creation Gold Coins, to further his mastery of the inner spirit secret arts?

"I'll start practicing first. But before that, I need to choose a suitable secret art. In the Heavenly Prison World, many aspects of the Supreme, Transcendent, and Highlord Techniques have been removed. This includes the inner spirit secret arts...

"Perhaps the ruler deemed them unnecessary? Or maybe, those who even required secret arts to condense their True Spirit weren't worthy of his fortune?"

If he needed secret arts, this matter would require Wang Fuyun's help.

However... even at Wang Fuyun's Worldbreaker Peak, Li Pin couldn't be certain if they would have inner spirit secret arts, let alone Supreme ones.

"I'll ask him first."

Li Pin took out his identity token equipped with communication function.

At that moment, he sensed something outside and stepped out of the small bamboo building.

Beyond the bamboo lodge, Yun Lai, Yu Xuexian, and Gao Shengyan had all gathered, their expressions filled with urgency.

The moment they saw Li Pin, they hurried over. "Hall Master, have you finished your seclusion?"

"Did something happen?" Li Pin asked.

"Yes..." Yun Lai's expression was grave. "We all understand the saying, 'A tree that stands tall in the forest will inevitably attract the wind.'

"We never publicly announced your achievement of mastering the third layer of the Primordial Supreme Technique, keeping it confined to our inner circle within the Dragon Abyss Tower.

"Yet, somehow, the news still leaked. This makes it clear that there are those within our tower who are not aligned with us."

His eyes turned cold. "We need to conduct an internal investigation."

"If the news gets out, so be it," Li Pin responded indifferently. He had no intention of concealing it in the first place.

However, there was a significant difference between the news spreading naturally and someone within Dragon Abyss Tower deliberately leaking it.

Gao Shengyan sensed that Li Pin hadn't fully grasped the gravity of the situation and interjected, "The real issue isn't just mastering the third level of the Primordial Supreme Technique. It's the timeframe of ten stellar years.

"Achieving the third level within that time... Do you realize the shockwaves this will send through the Golden Lands, or even the entire Heavenly Prison World?

"Among our own kind, it might be manageable, but against the other races, especially those who have long opposed us, we can't be sure they'll prioritize escaping this world alongside us. Instead, they might resort to the same tactics they used against the top talents of the Eternal Ascent of Humanity Initiative..."

Li Pin grasped what Gao Shengyan was trying to imply. "Assassination?"

Gao Shengyan, Yu Lai, and Yu Xuexian all nodded grimly. "Yes."