Chapter 29 - Restrictions!

Time seemed to stand still as Leng Yan remained deep in cultivation, his body slowly sinking further down. The light shield of his water repelling technique remained three feet away from his body, unchanged.

It wasn’t that the pressure at the bottom of the sea wasn’t increasing; rather, as the pressure grew, Leng Yan’s Blackwater Emperor Technique also progressed, finding a balance between the two.

From the outside of the Tide Sea, one could see the water level dropping by about ten feet, all of which had been transformed by Leng Yan into water essence. Such a vast amount of seawater had only managed to increase the size of the black droplets to that of a peanut.

While Leng Yan was fully focused on his cultivation, he suddenly felt a pulling force around him.

He hurriedly opened his eyes and saw a Pentagram Array emitting a blue light on the pitch-black ocean floor, drawing him in.

“Leng Yan knew that once he was drawn into the formation, it would be difficult to escape, especially since he couldn’t use sword flight in water and had no way to flee!”

He could only scream as he was sucked into the formation, after which the Pentagram Array disappeared into the darkness of the ocean floor.

At that moment, Leng Yan felt his body lighten, and the scenery before him changed. He found himself in a bright cave surrounded by gems emitting light.

Beneath his feet were piles of bones and a few damaged magical treasures, devoid of any luster.

“I was left with no choice but to intrude here; if I have disturbed Senior, I beg your forgiveness!” He bowed deeply towards the depths of the cave and spoke respectfully.

Leng Yan was certain there was a figure of high cultivation level here, though he knew not whether they were sealed or in seclusion. Regardless, he knew he must not act rashly.

No sooner had he spoken these words than a powerful force emanated from inside the cave, making Leng Yan feel as though he was bearing the weight of a mountain, his legs bending under the pressure. This force seemed intent on making him kneel.

“Senior’s cultivation level is profound… but to act in this manner… does it not seem to bully the weak?” Leng Yan summoned his magical power, struggling to stand firm, his teeth clenched and voice trembling.

“Heh! Accusing me of bullying the weak! Are you seeking death?” The voice from within the cave was filled with an endless domineering air.

“Death! I am not afraid! I only fear dying without clarity or justice!” Leng Yan shouted into the cave.

“Good! Over the years, only you have caught my eye! Those before you, what were they? They would just run around recklessly and grovel at my feet the moment I intimidated them! But you, you are polite and proud! Come in!” Leng Yan felt the pressure lift off his shoulders instantly, feeling incredibly relieved.

“Since the Senior intends to test me, I apologize for any misunderstanding I had about you earlier!” Leng Yan said, his words tinged with remorse.

“Knowing you understand makes this easier, come in, the path here holds no dangers!”

Leng Yan did not doubt the man’s words, knowing that if he wanted to kill him, it wouldn’t require much effort. As he walked, he turned a corner and saw a large stone chamber. In the center of the chamber, there was a stone platform adorned with numerous designs.

Above the stone platform, a drop of purple liquid exuded an imposing aura. The liquid slowly swirled, and the figure of a man appeared in the Void. This man wore a purple robe and had sharp, sword-like eyebrows, beneath which his eyes occasionally revealed a regal demeanor.

The man in the purple robe smiled at Leng Yan, making him feel as though no secrets could be hidden from this man’s gaze. Leng Yan’s greatest worry was the discovery of the immortal land, a treasure even immortals would covet.

“The Blackwater Emperor Technique, the Seven Emotions and Six Desires Technique, the Nine Yin Fiend God Technique-you know quite a few cultivation techniques, and all from the top ranks across various realms of the Immortal Firmament Continent, impressive! Where did you learn them?” The man in the purple robe was slightly surprised! He had not expected someone raised in the cave heavens to know so many top-level cultivation techniques. These were not techniques just anyone in the cave heavens could learn, not even those at the Void Profundity Realm necessarily had the privilege.

“The Blackwater Emperor Technique was taught to me by Elder Xuan Yi, and the other two, I acquired through defeating others,” Leng Yan replied, his heart easing as it seemed the man had not discovered the presence of the immortal land.

As for these techniques, Leng Yan believed this man did not regard them highly.

“Xuan Yi! This young man was merely a seed disciple of the Xuanwu Sect in the Five Elements Realm during the turmoil in the Immortal Firmament. Unexpectedly, he was sent to this cave heaven! Well then! I really like your character! Would you like to become my disciple?” The man in the purple robe smiled, looking at Leng Yan, waiting for his response.

Hearing this, Leng Yan was initially shaken but quickly regained his composure and said, “Senior, it is my honor that you see potential in me! However, I am still unaware of your background and identity. Moreover, taking on a disciple surely involves some tests, and I do not know if I can pass them!”

Seeing Leng Yan’s demeanor, admiration filled the eyes of the man in the purple robe. Unswayed by any temptation, it was clear that Leng Yan’s resolve was strong.

“Ha ha! My name is ‘Long Tian,’ the emperor of the Dragon Realm. This drop here is my essence blood, sealed here by Yi Xuan.

Of course, becoming my disciple is not so simple. Around my essence blood, there is a restriction, originally placed by Yi Xuan to seal this drop. Now, the restriction is damaged. If you can lift this restriction, I will take you as my disciple!” Long Tian stood with his hands behind his back, an aura of supremacy radiating from him.

Dragon Emperor! Leng Yan hadn’t expected this man to have such a prestigious background; no wonder Elder Xuan Yi referred to him merely as ‘disciple.’

Having such a figure as a master was indeed a coveted opportunity, but breaking the restriction seemed challenging, especially since Leng Yan didn’t even know what the restriction entailed.

“Junior Leng Yan, wishes to take Senior as master. I will now seclude myself here and break this restriction before formally becoming your disciple!” Leng Yan said firmly.

“Good! I won’t disturb you. If you break the restriction, I will know. I will teach you the basics of the restriction, the rest is up to you!”

As Long Tian’s apparition gradually faded, Leng Yan also received some introductory knowledge about the restriction.

Leng Yan sat down cross-legged in front of the purple blood, first thoroughly studying the basics of the restriction, and then delving deeper into research.

What is a restriction? A restriction can be understood as a higher-level existence compared to a formation. A formation requires patterns to be drawn and special spiritual objects to serve as the formation core, providing spiritual power. It achieves recognition of certain rules, harnessing the power of these rules to create effects such as sealing, attacking, and concealment, among others.

To destroy a formation, one simply needs to locate and destroy the formation core, which will render the entire formation ineffective.

Unlike formations, restrictions do not require the engraving of a formation map. Each rule is represented by a rune, and by forming this rune with mental power, it naturally resonates with the cosmic rules.

A set of seals and restrictions often involves a combination of various restrictions in a chaotic order, making them difficult to decipher. To break a restriction, one must know the sequence of the restrictions; a mistake in the sequence can trigger an attack from the restrictions or cause them to change.

However, the power of a restriction is determined by the cultivation level of its creator. A cultivator with a high cultivation level can forcefully break a restriction created by someone with a lower cultivation level.

For a cultivator with low cultivation attempting to break a restriction set by someone of a higher cultivation level, correctness in sequence is crucial. Any mistake can be extremely dangerous.

Leng Yan spent two weeks in meditation, carefully memorizing the runes of various restrictions.

His mental power slowly expanded, cautiously sensing the restrictions filling the Void. Leng Yan dared not touch them rashly; his goal was to record the entire set of restrictions and replicate them himself.

By doing so, he aimed to reduce the danger. After seven days, Leng Yan had successfully memorized the appearance of the entire set of restrictions. His next task was to calculate where hidden restrictions might be located within them.

Hidden restrictions are undetectable and can only be inferred through the interactions and changes between the visible restrictions.

Leng Yan took out a primordial spirit elixir as the target of the seal. He continuously traced the runes representing the rules, attempting to replicate Yi Xuan’s sealing restrictions.

Due to the passage of time and damage inflicted by Long Tian, many parts of Yi Xuan’s restrictions were damaged. Leng Yan’s first task was to repair these damages in order to perfectly calculate the hidden restrictions!

Completing the repairs was a massive undertaking. Leng Yan could no longer afford to be distracted, dedicating himself entirely to calculating and attempting to complete Yi Xuan’s restrictions!