Chapter 25: The First Under Heaven in Jinmen

Summoning clouds and bringing rain, transforming decay into miracle, arranging formations with skill—these are the Dao techniques employed by cultivators of spiritual energy to adapt and reshape their environment for cultivation. This art has no fixed name; strictly speaking, it is simply a means by which spiritual cultivators apply their knowledge within the tapestry of the world. On Divine Heaven Peak, there exists a Dao technique built upon this very method of “stealing the sky and changing the sun.” It manipulates earth energies and celestial forces, inverts yin and yang, and can, in a single instant, wipe the surface of a modern fortress city from the earth.

Of course, the difficulty of such a Dao technique is immense—far beyond what Lan Yi could now achieve. Yet the fundamental principles are clear: electromagnetic force, gravity, weak force, strong force—once these are understood, all mysteries of Dao techniques are concealed within them. Even if unable to replicate or wield them directly, one can devise ways to counter or unravel them.

With the Prison Suppression technique ready to activate at any moment, Lan Yi could enter an absolute state of rational calm, harmonizing external spiritual energies with ease. Whenever Lan Yi decided to act, the matter was assured—a hundred percent certainty. Even if unexpected disturbances arose, such as natural fluctuations, he was confident in keeping everything under control.

Nevertheless, it was still a gamble. Some gambles must be taken; he could not remain in the artificial divine realm forever. Without accelerating his progress, advancement in this backward, impoverished artificial world would remain slow.

Consider the conditions for reincarnation: nearly ninety-nine percent of those reborn hold enmity against Lan Yi. They too have returned, and will, at all costs, use their first trial in the artificial divine realm to desperately strengthen themselves, then observe and study Lan Yi. Once they believe themselves capable, they will surely leap forth to slay the Old Demon Lan and offer his head to the heavens to save the world!

Put more fashionably, Lan Yi was now single-handedly sparking spiritual resurgence in Artificial Divine Realm 1909.

The Type-I Transformation Device gradually stabilized. The pillar of light shooting skyward slowly faded. In its place, a gentle blue radiance, like dew, spilled from the enormous lotus-shaped circuit, tracing patterns across the retina before vanishing without a trace.

Though invisible to the naked eye, within spiritual energy vision, one could clearly see the light particles representing spirit energy flickering and activating, generating what was called spiritual mist. Leaping rapidly in units of ten thousand meters, spirit energy began to flood the entire region of Pu Hai.

Only now did Huo Yuanjia and Geng Liangchen dare approach, their awe and reverence for Lan Yi evident.

“Congratulations, Immortal Master, on your achievement!”

They could not see the spiritual energy, but the primal vital breath could be sensed. As martial artists who trained their spirit, their perception was the most acute. It was as if birds were lifted aloft by a strong wind, as fish were refreshed leaping into the water; the primal vital breath, which previously needed supplements or Lan Yi’s intervention after depletion, was now able to autonomously absorb ambient spiritual energy and replenish fighting-level losses.

Lan Yi was estimating the impact based on the feedback of spirit energy in the air.

“You can begin establishing vegetable gardens and breeding farms within Pu Hai’s bounds. The seafood near the mouth of the Yangtze River can also be managed.”

“When spiritual energy becomes abundant, with some luck, you may harvest spirit-infused food. Useless to me, but it will speed up your cultivation.”

“In addition, among the manual laborers in the city, a batch should soon appear who sense the primal vital breath or unconsciously activate their life clusters. These are the seeds for future conquest across the seas.”

Lan Yi needed say no more. Even if Huo Yuanjia and Geng Liangchen failed to fully understand, the party members deeply allied with them would grasp the essentials for governing the city and continuing expansion.

“As you command, Immortal Master!”

The two martial spirit experts bowed again.

At that moment, Lan Yi frowned slightly. Troubles, as expected, persisted. The Type-I Transformation Device had touched the foundational logic of the entire artificial divine realm’s operation. Even if there were no other spiritual cultivators to interfere or covet, the world consciousness, river of life, the Dao, or higher-dimensional computers would begin their assessment.

As the ultimate causal agent behind spiritual revival and reversal of the world’s fate, Lan Yi experienced fluctuations in luck. If misfortune struck, mythical species like phoenixes or dragons could potentially emerge.

But the greatest nuisance was not this. It lay in the side effects of the Type-I Transformation Device. Its side effects did not manifest in spirit energy itself, but directly acted upon the artificial divine realm!

If the artificial divine realm were a wall built by the conquest space to protect the main world, then activating the Type-I Transformation Device was akin to suddenly broadcasting along that wall: abnormal changes are occurring here.

How strong was this broadcast effect? It was like raising a torch in a pitch-dark wilderness; like a man-made sun appearing on a polar ice field; like a high-pitched loudspeaker wailing in the silence of night; like a cautious field mouse exposing itself to the gaze of a top predator.

Strange entities such as temporal locusts, cross-world immortal sects, super empires, ultimate lifeforms, apocalypse remnants, spiritual cultivators (from the future), and other bizarre things could be attracted.

Hey? Why is this artificial divine realm broadcasting continuously?

Let’s take a look!

Of course, this also depended on luck. Perhaps, for hundreds or even thousands of years, nothing would notice the abnormality here. Or perhaps, the very next moment, the sky would be torn open by a star-destroying fleet crossing the boundary.

In the past, those who undertook such actions were always spiritual cultivators of the main world. And with the conquest space as a fallback! Lan Yi, audacious as ever, had directly amped up the conquest space!

Linked to the Type-I Transformation Device, Lan Yi could faintly sense that as the mass production of spirit energy swept across, several anomalous sites were being activated.

One such site was even within Pu Hai...

Lan Yi turned to Huo Yuanjia. This anomaly was deeply entwined with Huo Yuanjia’s fate.

“Master Huo, help me find someone. Only you can locate him smoothly,” Lan Yi commanded.

“Who is it the Immortal Master seeks?” Huo Yuanjia asked.

“His name should now be Jin Buhuan.”

“Hm?” Huo Yuanjia was puzzled; he knew no one by that name. The Immortal Master had only given a name—must he search through Pu Hai’s population of over a hundred thousand?

“Just take a stroll outside. You should be able to find him now,” said Lan Yi.

No one dared disobey Lan Yi’s word, no matter how absurd. Huo Yuanjia promptly went outside the power plant, intending to take a look around; if he did not encounter the man, he would have to ask Nong Jin Sun to check the household records.

As it happened, just as Huo Yuanjia stepped out the door, a figure suddenly darted before him, so swiftly that Huo Yuanjia had no time to react, nor had he sensed the presence of this person—a genuine fright!

“Hey! Huo Yuanjia! Huo Yuanjia! Hehe, when did you become the top master of Tianjin?”