Chapter 1: You Call This an Introductory Mind Technique?

One hundred thousand boys and girls, each dressed differently, all looked up together at a massive stone monument about a hundred zhang tall, each with a restrained expression, showing their inner anxiety.

Because the upcoming Enlightenment Stele trial will decide the fate of their entire lives!

If they can pass the trial, they will obtain celestial affinity and become cultivators!

From then on they will not partake in mortal pleasures, traveling north to the Sea by day and to Cangwu by night, witnessing the transformation of seas and mulberry fields, and overlooking the succession of worldly dynasties.

If they cannot, they will have to return dejectedly to the mundane world, experiencing birth, aging, illness, and death, ending that brief and tedious life.

When everyone was anxious about the upcoming assessment, an ill‑timed voice suddenly rang out.

"Brother, excuse me!"

"Fellow Daoist, please make way!"

The crowd looked toward the voice.

They saw.

One handsome young man with sword‑shaped eyebrows and starry eyes was frowning and constantly pushing forward, as if trying to get to the spot closest to the Enlightenment Stele.

This move drew a lot of discontent.

Among them, there were also many who mocked, saying

"So funny!"

"Do you think being a bit closer to the Enlightenment Stele will grant you celestial affinity or not?"

"If you're not that kind of material, even if you carry the Enlightenment Stele home, the one without celestial affinity will still have none!"

"……"

Facing the surrounding crowd's cold sarcasm, Li Mu paid no heed.

He exerted tremendous effort and finally pushed through the crowd to stand directly beneath the Enlightenment Stele.

Ding!

Host detected to have arrived at the Enlightenment Stele!

Congratulations, host, you have successfully completed the activation task!

Hearing the system activation chime in his ears, Li Mu was so excited he almost burst into tears!

Not easy!

This really is far from easy!

Having been in the Qian Kun Realm for thirteen years!

He finally completed the first task issued by the system!

Thirteen years ago, Li Mu transmigrated to the Qian Kun Realm!

This is a xianxia world where one can, through diligent cultivation, gradually advance realms, ultimately achieving a lifespan equal to the heavens.

Here, powerful cultivators can, through practice, ride the void and command the wind, ascend to the heavens to seize the moon, and dive into the five oceans to capture dragons!

Only in this way can humanity oppose the mighty demonic beasts and alien races!

But Li Mu's start in the Qian Kun Realm was truly a bowl start, with all equipment obtained by scavenging, an orphan start!

Fortunately.

Like many transmigrants, Li Mu received a system the moment he was born!

Heavenly Dao Identification System!

But unfortunately!

He obtained this broken system, and yet had to activate it before it could be used!

Moreover, this damn thing isn't even the most devious!

The most devious part is!

The activation task the system gave Li Mu was actually to go to the front of the Ziyang Sect Enlightenment Stele to activate!

Li Mu, along this road, has endured countless life‑and‑death crises, and only now finally arrived before the Enlightenment Stele!

"Thirteen years!"

"You know!"

"Do you know how I have spent these thirteen years?"

"System!"

"Please don't disappoint me!"

The next moment!

In Li Mu's mind, the system's notification sound rang.

Ding!

Congratulations, host, you have successfully activated the Heavenly Dao Identification System!

The system can identify all things and bestow Heavenly Dao Blessing upon the identified target!

Heavenly Dao Blessing comes in tenfold, hundredfold, thousandfold, and ten‑thousandfold blessings.

Note: tenfold and hundredfold blessings are system‑triggered and can cause quantitative change.

Thousandfold and ten‑thousandfold blessings are triggered by the host, possessing the ability to transform decay into marvels!

To obtain thousandfold blessing, the host must successfully break through a minor shackles before unlocking.

To obtain ten‑thousandfold blessing, the host must successfully break through a major shackles before unlocking.

First identification will definitely grant ten‑thousandfold Heavenly Dao Blessing!

In the Qian Kun Realm, the so‑called major shackles represent the nine heavens realms of cultivation!

They are, respectively, the Embryo Forming Realm, Refining Qi Realm, Concentration Realm, Foundation Establishment Realm, Divine Ability Realm, Nascent Soul Realm, Golden Body Realm, Thunder Tribulation Realm, Flying Immortal Realm.

These nine heavenly great realms correspond respectively to the nine major shackles!

And the small shackles are the minor achievement, great achievement, and great perfection within each great realm!

Minor achievement corresponds to ranks one through five, great achievement to ranks five through nine, and great perfection to rank ten!

But just as he was about to study it, what exactly are the Heavenly Dao's identified quantitative and qualitative changes?

A wisp of immortal aura swept in, suddenly filling the space between heaven and earth.

At the same time.

Then a crane‑like, ethereal female voice reverberated in all directions, booming like rolling clouds: "In the 3,800th year of the Qian Yuan Era, the Ziyang Sect Outer Peak disciple examination officially begins!"

"The subject of this examination is the Ziyang Sect's introductory heart method!"

The female voice was otherworldly and exceptionally graceful!

Even just hearing her voice without seeing her form.

It would involuntarily make one imagine a celestial maiden untouched by the mortal world, peerless and solitary.

The voice settled.

Li Mu then saw the aura swirling upward on the Enlightenment Tablet ahead, causing the air around him to seem thick.

It was not like a gas, but rather a mysterious, transparent liquid.

Being in such an environment, even normal breathing makes one feel the spirit platform clear and thoughts lucid.

"Hum…"

The spiritual resonance vibrated with the primordial qi of heaven and earth, and on the stone tablet, originally about a hundred zhang tall, lines of faint golden radiance now materialized at a visible speed.

Witnessing this near‑divine feat gave the group of youths an unprecedented shock.

Each of them bowed their heads, trembling like frightened quails.

Inside, they grew increasingly respectful and cautious toward the unseen examiner, fearing any offending words or displeasing gestures.

But compared with those trembling youths…

Li Mu, also looking at the Enlightenment Tablet, read the characters line by line, and felt a tingling on his scalp.

However, the next moment…

"System, I want to use the ten‑thousand‑fold Heavenly Dao Blessing to identify the Enlightenment Tablet!"

"Boom!"

In an instant, a torrent of information and insight exploded in Li Mu's mind!

Immediately after came the system's crisp notification sound.

【Ding!】

【Successfully identified the Ziyang Sect introductory heart method, first identification, triggered ten‑thousand‑fold Heavenly Dao Blessing!】

【Congratulations, host, you have obtained the innate divine skill: Eight‑Nine Profound Skill!】

"Eight…"

"Eight‑Nine Profound Skill!"

At first glance at the Enlightenment Tablet, Li Mu's immediate reaction was that his eyes were playing tricks on him!

But when he rubbed his eyes and looked again, he saw that the Enlightenment Tablet, which originally recorded the Ziyang Sect introductory heart method, now prominently displayed a new entry.

【Eight‑Nine Profound Skill】

【Level: lv0】

【Quality: Unknown】

【Type: Technique】

【Effect: Soul out of body, shaping heaven and earth, Samadhi True Fire, Seventy‑two Transformations, Five‑Element Great Escape, Cloud‑riding and Mist‑driving, Five Thunder Formulas, Wind‑controlling Formula, Fire‑evading Formula, Water‑evading Formula, etc…】

【Description: The previous practitioner of the Eight‑Nine Profound Skill was a lofty individual who did not acknowledge the heavenly family, proud and divine, residing in Guan River. The illustrious spirit saint of Red City, manifesting the boundless deity known as Erlang, also hopes the host will not tarnish its reputation!】

"Damn…"

"Is that real?"

"Is this absurd or what!"

Under the ten‑thousand‑fold Heavenly Dao Blessing, the system actually identified the Ziyang Sect introductory heart method as the former‑life Chan Sect's first guardian divine skill "Eight‑Nine Profound Skill."

Is this the qualitative transformation the system spoke of, turning decay into wonder?

Li Mu's whole being was tossed about in the wind!

Perhaps for the natives of the Qian Kun Realm.

Even if Li Mu told them about the Eight‑Nine Profound Skill, they would remain clueless.

But as an Earthling from his past life, Li Mu knows exactly what those four characters "Eight‑Nine Profound Skill" represent!

No need to say more!

The value of the Chan Sect's first guardian divine skill "Eight‑Nine Profound Skill" is, of course, indisputable!

Yu Ding Real Person once said: "If this skill is mastered, one is not far from becoming a flying immortal; all things under heaven can be transformed, shaping heaven and earth, soul out of body, diamond‑hard, cloud‑riding and mist‑driving—these spells are trivial."

"When cultivated to the highest level, the soul remains eternally gathered, and the skill body is indestructible for ten thousand eons."

Cultivating this Eight‑Nine Profound Skill not only allows one to vie for the Supreme Realm of the Qian Kun Realm, but also the Flying Immortal Realm!

Furthermore, the Eight‑Nine Profound Skill possesses numerous divine abilities!

Whether it is soul out of body, shaping heaven and earth, diamond‑hard, Seventy‑two Transformations, Five‑Element Great Escape, etc.

For the natives of the Qian Kun Realm, pulling any of these divine abilities out would surely be a Dimensionality Reduction Strike!

Just as Li Mu was daydreaming about mastering the Eight‑Nine Profound Skill to great completion and soaring across the heavens in the Flying Immortal Realm.

Suddenly.

A clear, cold voice drifted through the lingering mist.

"The Ziyang Sect Outer Peak introductory examination has only one stage: comprehending the introductory heart method recorded on the Enlightenment Tablet!"

Within ten days, if one can comprehend the cultivation method and achieve drawing qi into the body, that counts as passing!