At a position three hundred feet off the ground on the cliff face, there was a dark cave entrance. Pei Yuan led Lu Ye here, stopped, and pointed at the cave entrance, saying, "Fellow Daoist Lu, entering through this cave mouth leads to the Sacred Land. Inside, many spirit runes masters have gathered, and perhaps more will co in the future. I hope you will find sothing worthwhile there."
"Thank you, Sect Master Pei!" Lu Ye expressed his gratitude.
Pei Yuan was only responsible for guiding Lu Ye here and did not plan on venturing deeper inside, so he soon turned and left.
Watching him depart, Lu Ye then swiftly stepped into the cave. The passage within was spacious enough to allow several people to walk side by side. Using ntal Consciousness, he could sense many sources of life deeper within the cave, likely spirit runes masters from all over the Nine Provinces gathered to observe and cultivate.
Lu Ye proceeded inward, walking for a full half a tea's ti before he began to faintly hear voices ahead, seemingly arguing over sothing.
Continuing forward for a while, a massive cavern ca into view.
Around it, points of light dotted the area, with peculiar stones ornanting the cavern, making it not dark at all—instead, it was as bright as dayti.
Looking around, there were quite a number of people gathered in this cavern, at least a hundred or so. So clustered together, so sat cross-legged before sections of cave wall, observing intently, and others sat facing each other, with a jade disc set between them, each channeling their spirit force, seemingly engaged in a contest of skills.
Various sounds filled the air, creating a lively atmosphere.
Lu Ye hadn't expected such a scene in this place. He originally thought this so-called Sacred Land would be peaceful and harmonious, but now he realized he had thought too much.
Turning his head to survey the area, he noticed that the cave walls were smooth and flat throughout, adorned everywhere with complex patterns. To cultivators unfamiliar with the Path of Spirit Runes, these intricate patterns were dizzying and incomprehensible, yet for spirit runes masters, these patterns contained profound truths worthy of careful study and contemplation.
When Lu Ye walked in, so people did notice him, but they only glanced at him casually and then no longer paid attention. Nowadays, people frequently enter and exit the Sacred Land, and a youthful face like Lu Ye's was not uncommon and naturally did not attract attention.
Following the sound of arguing, he arrived before a smooth stone wall and listened silently for a mont before sorting out the details. Clearly, the spirit runes masters gathered here had differing understandings and insights regarding the patterns inscribed on the stone wall. One group believed those patterns were the nascent form of a certain kind of spirit runes, while the other group thought it was the nascent form of another type, each side holding fast to their view, arguing heatedly.
Seizing the opportunity, Lu Ye joined in and shared his opinion, but he was soon overwheld by the voices of both sides. This kind of scene was unfamiliar to him, facing seniors who exceeded him in both age and imrsion in this field, Lu Ye couldn't argue too strongly and chose to stand aside and watch the spectacle instead.
However, the two groups of cultivators didn't argue for too long. For disputes over the Path of Spirit Runes, words alone couldn't decide the winner; each side had their own reasoning, and neither was wrong.
So they could only show the truth with actions.
It wasn't like ordinary combat to fight to the death; since everyone present was spirit runes masters, their competition naturally revolved around the Path of Spirit Runes.
Using the contested patterns as a foundation, each exerted effort to derive spirit patterns, seeing whose derived spirit runes were most stable as determining the victorious side.
This was the most cooperative way of contest among the gathered spirit runes masters, and Lu Ye hadn't witnessed it before, finding it surprisingly novel.
Silently assimilating into the group, he took out a jade tablet used by spirit runes masters and began constructing Yin-Yang Dual Origins on it, channeling spirit force.
The patterns on the stone wall were incomplete, and deriving a new spirit rune from them was undoubtedly a test of a spirit runes master's skill.
Lu Ye didn't know about the progress of the other spirit runes masters, but he was making quite good progress. Perhaps due to the properties brought about by the secondary tamorphosis of the Talent Tree, he always had many creative insights that others found difficult to match when it ca to deriving spirit patterns.
One hour later, the jade tablet in Lu Ye's hand flashed with light, and a spirit rune was ford.
This anomaly imdiately attracted the attention of the other spirit runes masters who were working hard, all turning to look. Each was incredibly astonished, none having expected that among so many people present, the seemingly youngest lad was the first to produce a result.
There was no need to continue deriving further; everyone gathered around, passing Lu Ye's jade tablet among themselves, occasionally offering their critiques.
Though there were flaws in this newly derived spirit rune, its undeniable fact was that it had indeed ford because it could stably exist on the jade tablet.
Of course, being able to stably exist and being ford did not an it was useful!
Spirit runes were categorized into two types: useful spirit runes, which can perform functions in combat, cultivation, or other fields, and the type Lu Ye had just derived, which was a useless spirit rune, only able to exist in and of itself without any practical effect.
Such spirit runes were actually nurous, mostly used by spirit runes masters for research purposes. Almost every spirit runes master could derive nurous useless spirit runes.
Of course, useless and useful could often transform into each other; a useless spirit rune might only need slight modifications to beco a useful spirit rune.
Similarly, those useful spirit runes will beco useless, or even fail to form, if the arrangent of one or two Yin-Yang Dual Origins is altered.
After so evaluations, the two sides of spirit runes masters fell into another round of argunt, each believing that the spirit runes derived by Lu Ye belonged to their recognized field.
Lu Ye discovered sothing: these spirit runes masters all had the trait of being stubbornly opinionated, each unwilling to yield. If they were to leave a legacy a hundred years after their passing, it might just be their obstinacy.
Amidst the noise, everyone suddenly turned their gaze toward Lu Ye. A revered elder asked, "Young friend, this spirit rune was derived by you. Tell us, what is the characteristic of this spirit rune!"
Lu Ye appeared awkward, stamring, "I think... what everyone said seems quite reasonable!"
A crowd imdiately glared at him in anger!
Being a fence-sitter never ends well; Lu Ye was soon ostracized from the group, but he didn't mind and continued to observe other patterns on the stone wall.
Undoubtedly, these patterns were left by powerful spirit runes masters from the pre-Nine Provinces era. This might have been a place where so spirit runes masters sequestered themselves for cultivation, engraving so of their insights from cultivation onto the stone wall. Over the years, it has been passed down.
Later visitors co here to observe the remnants left by predecessors, gain so inspiration, and thereby refine their Path of Spirit Runes.
Over ti, this place has beco a Sacred Land for spirit runes masters.
Actually, there's nothing particularly special about it. If people who aren't spirit runes masters ca here, they wouldn't get any practical benefit, but true spirit runes masters eagerly flock to this treasure land, and those who can co here, who are qualified to co here, are invariably individuals with high accomplishnts in the Path of Spirit Runes. Those with insufficient accomplishnts cannot be brought here.
Initially, during the first few days, those spirit runes masters sowhat ignored Lu Ye due to his age, but as ti passed and Lu Ye gradually revealed his accomplishnts in the Path of Spirit Runes, many spirit runes masters genuinely regarded him as a fellow cultivator.
Lu Ye would sotis observe and comprehend the patterns on the stone wall by himself, and sotis discuss and compete with other spirit runes masters, occasionally joining so debates.
In such a place, nobody knew he was Lu Yiye from the Righteous Blood Sect, nor did he know others' nas, regardless of gender or age. All were kindred spirits striving tirelessly in the Path of Spirit Runes, true Fellow Daoists.
Such an atmosphere is a rare experience for a spirit runes master, undoubtedly more effective than building cars behind closed doors.
Every mutual discussion with a spirit runes master would benefit Lu Ye, allowing him to discard the chaff from the grain and incorporate the strengths of a hundred masters.
Lu Ye once again lost track of ti, completely imrsed in it, and in this unconscious state, continually improved his accomplishnts in the Path of Spirit Runes.
With purposeful arrangents, he almost had one-on-one in-depth communication with all spirit runes masters there.
Many spirit runes masters gradually recognized his profound accomplishnts in the Path of Spirit Runes, and no longer belittled him because of his age. In fact, often, when unable to discern a clear argunt, they would seek him for judgnt.
Each ti, Lu Ye found it quite difficult because no matter which side he stood on, the other side wouldn't be convinced. Ultimately, the resolution had to co by determining victory the spirit runes masters way.
Thus ti quickly passed, and three months elapsed.
On this day, two groups of spirit runes masters were arguing endlessly over the patterns on a stone wall. Unable to reach a conclusion, they decided to have Lu Ye make a judgnt.
As they turned around, they found Lu Ye sitting quietly by a stone wall, not moving, seemingly in a deep ditative trance!
"Don't disturb him, this young Fellow Daoist has been in ditative trance for three days, seems to have co to so realization." Soone spoke.
"Then let's lower our voices. Having a realization here is a stroke of fortune; don't ruin soone's opportunity." Everyone nodded in agreent.
Lu Ye was indeed in ditative trance, but it was not because of a realization; he was revisiting the many contents stored on the leaves of the Talent Tree.
The leaves of the Talent Tree contained not only complete spirit runes but also techniques for constructing spirit runes and insights into the Path of Spirit Runes.
Lu Ye wasn't sure where these insights into the Path of Spirit Runes ca from, just as he wasn't clear about how the stored spirit runes appeared.
But undoubtedly, these insights are invaluable treasures for any spirit runes master, enabling Lu Ye to achieve higher accomplishnts based on the foundation of these perceptions.
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