Secrets of Heaven

That single sentence brought silence to everyone present.

After quite a while, the burly man forced a laugh. "Hahaha, that was last year’s business. From last year to now, I’ve prepared for an entire year! Last year at this time, I’d just entered the Dawn Realm. Now I’m at the second aperture of Dawn. This time, I’ll definitely pass!"

The others shared similar thoughts. This year’s preliminary exam for the Celestial Radiance would take place in half a month, on the first of April, in Hezhong County near Luming Town. They had agreed to meet at the Half-Month Market after the exam.

After making their arrangements, they dispersed, though traces of doubt lingered on their faces. It turned out that obtaining a Celestial Radiance Token was not so easy...

For some reason, although this matter had little to do with Jiang Feng, he still felt a faint sense of unease in his heart. He resolved that next time, he would arrive early at the Half-Month Market to hear the result of their Celestial Radiance exam. He had a hunch that this matter was not merely about the exam.

...

On Chongfan’s side, the business was not yet finished. After exchanging his goods, he started shopping again. The once half-empty bamboo basket was filled anew, containing what Jiang Feng still saw as nothing but junk.

Chongfan, at this moment, was utterly transformed from before. It was as though some vitality had been infused deep into his body; his voice was loud, his face brimming with confidence and composure. Perhaps he was frail and plagued by illness, but without a doubt, this was his domain!

Jiang Feng did not disturb him and walked away once more. This time, he went to sit cross-legged beneath a tree, taking out the “Guide to Clarity” and leafing through it.

As its name implied, the “Guide to Clarity” discussed the application of clarity energy through the fingers and palms. Up to now, Jiang Feng had not been able to directly use clarity energy, but it was already hidden within every part of his body—every muscle, every blood vessel, every heartbeat.

Perhaps the guide could not help him manipulate clarity energy, but it would let him understand how it “should” operate, how it “could” operate.

The main reason he could not use clarity energy lay in his bloodline; the golden strand of blood was still undergoing refinement and purification. In the future, perhaps before long, clarity energy might become his to wield!

The language of the “Guide to Clarity” was entirely different from everyday speech, obscure and difficult to comprehend. Jiang Feng frowned as he read, finding many passages utterly baffling.

As he read on, he forgot where he was; the lively surroundings faded away, and he became wholly absorbed in the guide.

Suddenly, his heart gave a heavy thump, and a strange phenomenon occurred!

The vortex within the Seed of Heavenly Heart suddenly spun faster, producing a powerful suction. Previously, this only happened when Jiang Feng cultivated, absorbing clarity energy and merging it into the primal branch.

But this was not a cultivation session, and Jiang Feng felt no influx of clarity energy.

Moments later, his eyes widened.

The characters on the page of the “Guide to Clarity” began to come alive, writhing one by one! The strokes twisted and moved, as if drawn upward by a force, leaving the paper and leaping toward Jiang Feng.

In the blink of an eye, they poured into his body and vanished.

Jiang Feng sensed a stream of energy extending upward from where the words entered, rushing into his heart.

His consciousness was pulled along, plunging into the space where the Seed of Heavenly Heart resided.

He saw the golden Seed of Heavenly Heart, and the vortex within!

Inside the vortex, Jiang Feng saw something slowly moving.

He focused his awareness and found it to be a cube, like a Rubik’s Cube. It had six faces, each with nine squares, and each square could rotate freely.

Characters descended from above, merging into the squares. The tiny squares, driven by the characters, moved constantly, causing the larger cube to continually shift and change.

What was this? Jiang Feng was certain he had never heard of such a thing!

The cube seemed alive, noticing Jiang Feng’s attention; it suddenly changed shape, and a message entered Jiang Feng’s mind—just two words:

“Heavenly Mechanism.”

...

“Heavenly Mechanism? The Heavenly Mechanism inside the Seed of Heavenly Heart?”

Those two words lingered for about ten seconds, then scattered like grains of sand, returning to the form of the cube.

A thought entered Jiang Feng’s mind, as if asking: “Optimize?”

Optimize? What did that mean?

Optimize what?

Jiang Feng had no idea.

But judging by the literal meaning, the term did not seem to imply anything harmful.

Moreover, every change brought by the Seed of Heavenly Heart since he obtained it had been beneficial.

He gritted his teeth and issued the command—“Yes!”

Suddenly, a surge swept through his body!

The Seed of Heavenly Heart seemed to transform into a black hole, generating an incredibly strong suction!

All clarity energy in the primal branch flowed backward, pouring into the Seed. At the same time, all the minute clarity energy throughout Jiang Feng’s body was also pulled back in!

The clarity energy took away all his strength. He was instantly drained, barely able to remain seated.

Within three seconds of his command, all the clarity energy Jiang Feng had absorbed over this period was consumed, not a drop left.

What was happening?

The Seed of Heavenly Heart spun at an astonishing speed, sucking all the clarity energy from Jiang Feng’s body, as if still unsatisfied.

Then, Jiang Feng felt as if his entire body was being pierced by needles, as external clarity energy was forcibly absorbed!

Apart from the three daily cultivation periods, clarity energy was always present in the world, naturally absorbed by martial cultivators. This process was usually smooth, unnoticeable.

But now, the Seed of Heavenly Heart was forcibly absorbing this ambient clarity energy, exerting immense pressure on Jiang Feng’s body, as if to compress him into a single mass.

Along the Chuan River, the breeze was always pleasant, making one feel at ease.

Suddenly, a powerful current swept in, and a fierce wind arose.

The wind lifted sand from the ground, rustled the leaves, and nearly overturned several stalls at the Half-Month Market!

This wind was truly bizarre, with no fixed direction—sometimes east, sometimes south, varying in intensity. At its strongest, it nearly swept people away; at its weakest, it was as gentle as a spring breeze.

The martial cultivators at the market were puzzled by the event, bracing themselves and looking around in confusion.

The gale lasted about the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, then ceased as suddenly as it had begun.

The cultivators glanced at one another, ready to ask questions, when someone suddenly shouted, “It’s noon!”

No need to explain what noon signified; everyone knew.

They all halted their activities and sat cross-legged on the spot.

In that moment, it was as if a beam of golden light shone along the Chuan Riverbank; intense clarity energy gathered and poured in.

At noon, everyone began to cultivate simultaneously.

Under the direct sunlight, clarity energy intensified, giving Jiang Feng just the help he needed.

The Seed of Heavenly Heart spun faster, its suction increased, and vast clarity energy flooded into Jiang Feng, causing turbulence in the surrounding airflow.

Jiang Feng barely managed to keep his body balanced, entirely unable to pay attention to his surroundings. If things continued, the abnormal fluctuations and strange winds might expose his secret, but just in time, noon arrived, and massive clarity energy streamed in from above, straight into the Seed.

Jiang Feng finally caught his breath and began to observe the state of the Seed of Heavenly Heart.

It was clear that the Seed absorbed this clarity energy to fuel the operation of the central “cube.”

This cube, called the Heavenly Mechanism, worked with a mysterious rhythm.

Clarity energy slipped between the tiny squares, setting them into motion. Golden light flowed through the squares like lightning among clouds.

Each face had only nine squares, twenty-six in total. Yet the movement of these mere twenty-six squares required enormous clarity energy!

Time ticked by, with clarity energy from the sky pouring in.

The Heavenly Mechanism cube operated under this continuous supply, and finally, as if exhausted, it slowed and calmed.

At the instant the noon clarity energy faded, the Seed of Heavenly Heart returned to normal, and the cube ceased its operation.

A bolt of lightning shot from the heart of the cube into Jiang Feng’s mind.

A stream of information accompanied the lightning, startling Jiang Feng.

There was no title, but as the information entered, Jiang Feng instantly understood its nature—

An improved version of the Guide to Clarity!

This Heavenly Mechanism cube could actually refine martial arts techniques that use clarity energy!

...

“Strange...”

Whispers spread around him.

Martial cultivators frowned, quietly discussing, “Did you feel that you absorbed less clarity energy during cultivation just now?”

“What? You felt that way too?”

“Yeah, I thought I was mistaken, but looks like you had the same experience.”

After a bit of discussion, they realized everyone had felt the same. If they usually absorbed a hundred units of clarity energy at noon, today they barely reached ten.

If their abilities were a bit stronger, they might have noticed the abnormal concentration of clarity energy. But those who came to the Half-Month Market were mostly weaker cultivators, few had even entered the realm, and could not sense clarity energy so precisely.

Had the old man who sold Jiang Feng the Guide to Clarity been present, he might have noticed something amiss. But his reckless probing had angered Chongfan, and he, along with several other shadowy subordinates, had been chased away, missing the chance to discover the anomaly.

Under the tree, Jiang Feng’s unusual clarity energy fluctuations had completely faded, but he had not yet emerged from the depths of his consciousness.

His face was pale, lashes trembling, breath shallow and erratic.

“Jiang Feng, Jiang Feng? Hmm? What’s wrong?”

A persistent voice called from ahead. Jiang Feng’s vision darkened; he forced his eyes open, feeling as if he were drunk, seeing five or six blurry images of Chongfan before him, unable to make out his face.

He shook his head vigorously, but clarity eluded him.

Chongfan, having finished his business, came over to find Jiang Feng in a strange state and called out to him several times.

Jiang Feng seemed to hear, yet seemed oblivious, looking at him in a daze.

Chongfan glanced down and saw the Guide to Clarity neatly placed on Jiang Feng’s knees, his expression immediately tinged with concern.

Was this Jiang Feng’s first venture into the martial arts of clarity energy, and had clarity energy gone out of control?