Chapter 235: The Infinite Secret

Lu Fang nodded upon hearing this and asked the Devil Heart internally: “Are all the ancient races in the Seal Hall dead?”

He had asked the Devil Heart this before, and at the time it had been certain no ancient race had survived; he didn’t think it would lie.

The Devil Heart affirmed: “I and Song Ce consumed their cultivation roots. These ancient races survived within the seal only because they entered a dormant state, sustaining life with their dwindling cultivation roots.”

“Once they lose their cultivation roots, they die instantly—no ancient race could possibly survive.”

“With my perception, I detected not a single survivor.”

Lu Fang frowned. If what the Devil Heart said was true, could Song Ce have done something behind the scenes—or had the Heavenly Mechanism Daoist seen events yet to come?

For some reason, he felt uneasy, as if he had overlooked something.

But upon careful thought, the Luo Sha army was stationed there to suppress all threats—what problem could possibly arise? He simply couldn’t figure it out, so he set the matter aside.

“Elder, I heard you once deceived the Heavenly Dao’s restrictions by denying yourself comfort—did that method have any effect?”

Lu Fang voiced his doubt.

After reaching the Fifth Rank, Third Stage and gaining his Super Perception, he had faintly sensed the Heavenly Dao’s restrictions on him—his cultivation speed had weakened drastically.

Moreover, the Elegant Script version of the Journey to the West he obtained from the Ink Brush Realm was also restricted by the Heavenly Dao; writing even a single character was excruciatingly difficult.

The Realm Spirit had confirmed it: he was under the Heavenly Dao’s intense restriction.

Right now, finding a way to resist the Heavenly Dao’s restrictions was more urgent than cultivating or writing Elegant Script; unclaimed destiny energy could also counter the restriction, but Small Upper Realms weren’t something one could simply find.

Even if one existed, it didn’t guarantee abundant unclaimed destiny energy.

The Heavenly Mechanism Daoist sighed: “If you’re asking me, I believe this method has great utility. Have you tried it before? I’ve heard the Heavenly Dao imposes severe restrictions on you.”

Lu Fang gave a bitter smile: “I did try it once, but the effect didn’t seem significant—perhaps it worked, but I didn’t feel it. Yet as my realm has risen, the Heavenly Dao’s restrictions have grown stronger.”

“If I can’t find a way to resist them, my cultivation will surely face obstacles.”

“That’s why I’ve come to humbly seek your guidance.”

The Heavenly Mechanism Daoist nodded slightly: “Your approach is wrong. To deceive the Heavenly Dao, the most effective method is to deceive yourself. If possible, try pretending next time.”

“For example, seal your own strength and experience the world as an ordinary person—or seal part of your memories and enter the world under another identity to undergo trials.”

“When I was cast into the abyss by the Heavenly Dao’s restrictions, I used these two extreme methods.”

Lu Fang frowned tightly: “Seal my own strength? Elder, do you possess such a secret technique? If possible, could you teach it to me? I’ll owe you a debt—I’ll do everything in my power to repay you, as long as it doesn’t violate morality.”

He now understood quite a bit about cultivation matters.

Such a technique as the Heavenly Mechanism Daoist described was a secret art—he’d heard of such arts before, but they were said to be exceedingly difficult to obtain.

The Heavenly Mechanism Daoist smiled and pulled a jade slip from his robe, tossing it to Lu Fang: “It’s not anything precious—take it if you need it.”

Shen Xiaoxuan nodded vigorously: “Lu Brother, I’ve studied this secret technique too. Once you master it, you can not only seal your strength but also seal part of your memories—or even add new ones.”

“The only drawback is, this technique only works on yourself, so it’s not particularly powerful.”

“No need for debts—I still haven’t properly thanked you.”

“You’re quite good at making decisions for your master,” the Heavenly Mechanism Daoist said with a helpless shake of his head, but said no more.

Lu Fang sent a thread of righteous qi into the jade slip—a slender beam of spiritual light shot instantly into his third eye. He suddenly appeared in a space, surrounded by countless dense characters.

The characters, like living things, rushed forward to enter his body.

Each time a segment of text entered him, memories of the secret technique spontaneously filled his mind.

This secret technique was called—The Infinite Secret!

After absorbing all the characters, Lu Fang snapped open his eyes, dazed—he clearly sensed that the state had lasted a long time, yet outside, it seemed like only an instant.

This mysterious state told him the jade slip was extremely precious—not at all ordinary, as the Heavenly Mechanism Daoist had claimed.

Lu Fang bowed to the Heavenly Mechanism Daoist: “Thank you, Elder.”

The Heavenly Mechanism Daoist waved his hand dismissively.

Shen Xiaoxuan smiled: “Lu Brother, how was it? When I first entered that mysterious state, I could barely grasp a fraction of the Infinite Secret—I trained for nearly a year before I roughly mastered its techniques.”

Lu Fang was about to speak when the jade slip in his hand cracked with a sharp sound. He exclaimed in surprise: “Elder, what’s going on?”

The Heavenly Mechanism Daoist glanced casually: “This jade slip was one of several transmission treasures I spent considerable time crafting. This outcome means you’ve already comprehended the Infinite Secret.”

“Impossible!” Shen Xiaoxuan shook her head rapidly.

Even if the Heavenly Mechanism Daoist had engraved the complex Infinite Secret onto the jade slip using a secret method to allow direct comprehension,

truly mastering it was still extremely difficult.

Even she, who took a year to learn it, had been praised by the Heavenly Mechanism Daoist as exceptionally gifted—how could someone master it entirely after just one glance?

Lu Fang blinked and smiled: “It seems I’ve indeed mastered many of the Infinite Secret’s techniques. Thank you, Elder, for bestowing this art—I wouldn’t have learned it so quickly without your gift.”

“It’s all your destiny,” the Heavenly Mechanism Daoist sighed, shaking his head as he studied Lu Fang from head to toe. “I finally understand why the Heavenly Dao imposes such severe restrictions on someone at your realm.”

“You must tread carefully—you’re unlike ordinary people; in every way, your future is destined to surpass theirs.”

“Conversely, you’ll face hardships no ordinary person could even imagine. Fortune and misfortune are two sides of the same coin—everything hinges on a single thought.”

“I hope, before I die, I live to witness your rise to prominence.”