Chapter 120 (Part 1) Immortal Skull! Epiphany Immortal Talisman!

Danger is omnipresent.

Lin Qiye exercised a high degree of caution.

After all, the Painted-Skin Demon was still more than two months away from coming to the island to devour those with psychic talents.

This meant Lin Qiye was defying the heavens and altering his fate two full months in advance.

Whatever happened next would be entirely unpredictable.

Perhaps there would be unforeseen changes.

Perhaps nothing at all would happen.

Even though the five top human psychics had sensed a great fortune lying beneath the ocean trench, danger might still lurk within it.

Therefore, Lin Qiye stood at the edge of the trench, silently sensing the fluctuations below.

[Deduction successful: No danger.]

Having received his answer, Lin Qiye nodded slightly.

With a single thought, a lightning particle slipped into the water, searching for the mysterious cavern deep within the trench.

The vandal, Guo Huai, had used psychic crystals and psychic energy to craft a peculiar barrier over the cave.

Air could permeate it, but seawater could not.

Naturally, Lin Qiye's lightning particle was able to enter along with the air.

"I must admit, this vandal has truly pushed the application of psychic energy to its absolute peak. If not for the intentional flaws he left behind, forcing our way in would have been quite difficult."

Forcing an entry would undoubtedly cause the cavern to collapse and might even trigger Guo Huai's defensive mechanisms.

Should that happen, everything inside would be destroyed.

Fortunately, Lin Qiye had his lightning particles.

A single lightning particle slipped into the cave.

Then, Lin Qiye brought the others along and teleported directly inside!

Deep within the cavern, golden fluorescent crystal minerals were scattered everywhere.

The five psychic powerhouses were struck dumb with astonishment at the sight before them!

Stretched out before their eyes was an endless vein of crystal ores, winding like a dragon.

Every single crystal looked as though a tiny human brain was writhing within it, radiating waves of psychic energy.

"These are all top-grade crystals capable of refining psychic energy! Every last one of them!"

"There are even crystals that can enhance the quality of one's awakened abilities!"

"Good grief, this is undoubtedly the largest psychic crystal mine ever discovered by humanity! With this crystal mine, the overall capability of human powerhouses can be boosted by twenty percent!"

"This is utterly absurd! Utterly absurd!"

The five top psychics looked as though they were intoxicated.

After all, the mineral vein before them was simply too vast, too abundant, and too impactful.

Overwhelmed with ecstasy, the five of them burst into wild laughter.

"Lord Gu, these are truly incredible treasures! Although many awakened individuals lack psychic abilities, they can still use such crystals to refine their mental strength and willpower. Increasing psychic energy enhances one's control over their abilities, which is tantamount to a disguised boost in combat power!"

"Lord Gu, you can use them too!"

The five top psychics gazed at Lin Qiye with exceptionally burning eyes.

"As expected of Lord Gu; with just a single move, he has brought such a massive mineral vein to humanity!"

Lin Qiye: "..."

I certainly didn't anticipate any mineral vein... It was all just a coincidence.

Faced with their flattery, Lin Qiye merely shook his head.

"You should tend to your injuries first. When the time comes, I'll leave the mining operations to you. Strive to forge even more powerful experts. It is time for humanity to launch a counterattack!"

Lin Qiye's gaze turned cold.

The Deity-Inviting Plan had been thwarted.

The Winged Wolf royal family and the demon race were estranged.

The vandal was dead.

The Netherworld Son of Heaven had suffered a vital blow.

Zhu Yuheng and Jiang Lianyi were thriving.

As for himself, he possessed four SSS-grade talents; once he fully developed all of them to one hundred percent perfection, he could sweep across the board and bring this lifetime to a close.

Lin Qiye smiled inwardly.

Victory was right before his eyes.

However, just as Lin Qiye was lost in thought, he suddenly turned his head to look deep into the cavern.

"Something is emitting an extremely faint ripple, causing my immortal energy to resonate?"

"Is it an immortal artifact?"

Lin Qiye was quite curious.

"You all stay here to cultivate and recover, and do not wander around. I'll go deep into the cave to take a look; there seems to be some kind of fluctuation..."

"Could it be dangerous? Some lingering trap left behind by that powerhouse?"

"Shall we accompany Lord Gu?"

Lin Qiye nodded.

"Very well."

Thus, Lin Qiye and the five psychic powerhouses proceeded step by step deeper into the cavern.

After walking for half an hour, they finally reached a hall deep within the cave.

Inside the hall, psychic energy filled the entire space like seawater.

When they first stepped inside, they felt nothing at all.

However, upon taking one step further, all five of them groaned in unison, blood streaming from their noses and mouths.

"Oh no! It's the oppressive pressure of high-tier psychic energy! Quick, protect Lord Gu!"

"We are in such a miserable state, Lord Gu surely won't be able to hold on."

The five of them hurriedly looked toward Lin Qiye.

Yet Lin Qiye stood within the 'seawater' safe and sound, completely unscathed.

Four wisps of immortal energy merely drifted around him, casting myriad rays of auspicious light.

"This..."

"This..."

The five of them looked at each other in dismay.

"Lord Gu is completely fine?"

"It seems this is Lord Gu's fortune..."

The five were consumed with envy, yet felt no jealousy. They simply exchanged glances.

"Let us stand guard for Lord Gu here, and take the opportunity to heal our injuries as well. Then we can use the crystals here to elevate the quality of our abilities; such rich and wondrous energy is gathered right here!"

"Right, Lord Gu has his own fortune, and thanks to him, we get to share in this once-in-a-lifetime encounter!"

The five gazed at Lin Qiye.

The next moment, however, they froze once again.

Because as the immortal energy materialized around Lin Qiye, within the sea of psychic energy, bubbles began to rise with a gurgling sound.

A massive, slightly translucent giant egg surfaced.

The giant egg lay quietly amidst a pile of pure mineral ores, surrounded by them like stars orbiting a moon.

Through the auspicious light emitted by the ores, one could faintly perceive an embryo still writhing slightly within the giant egg.

The embryo was not a complete one.

Instead, it was a gigantic human brain!

The brain was translucent, allowing the winding structures within the skull to be seen, with fluid flowing through those pathways.

"An egg, and inside the egg is just a brain?"

Lin Qiye raised an eyebrow, unable to suppress a trace of wariness.

He could sense the rich psychic energy radiating from the brain embryo, as if it intended to devour everything around it.

Lin Qiye scrutinized the brain embryo intently.

"There is the aura of ferocious beasts on this, and the aura of the vandal as well... along with a certain immortal charm. Could it be... that the vandal was hiding beneath here to nurture an embryo like this?"

Lin Qiye fell into deep thought.

"The Life Lamp hinted that the vandal was searching for some sort of oceanic holy beast. What connection does this thing have with an oceanic holy beast?"

Unable to figure it out, Lin Qiye silently opened the Genesis Deduction.

"Deduce what on earth this thing is..."

[This deduction requires 100,000 wandering points. After consumption, 5.3 million wandering points will remain. Do you wish to consume wandering points to perform the deduction?]

[Deduction successful: This giant egg is a miniature immortal cranium that the vandal Guo Huai once obtained as an SSS-grade reward, within which an immortal consciousness and soul are concealed. Guo Huai wanted to claim its power for himself. To devour the miniature immortal cranium, he plundered the power of a thousand universes to nourish it, and expended countless amounts of psychic energy to nurture it back to vitality. Unfortunately, on the eve of his success, the vandal discovered that to devour the immortal bone, a wisp of immortal energy was absolute necessary.]

"An immortal cranium?"

Lin Qiye was utterly astonished.

"As expected, a fellow who destroyed a thousand universes still has some extraordinary treasures in his possession."

"An immortal cranium... it took the destruction of a thousand worlds to nurture it. What a pity that it lacked a wisp of immortal energy, preventing him from devouring it... How regrettable..."

"If the vandal had succeeded in devouring it, the few people I brought with me would probably have been instantly obliterated in a single encounter!"

Lin Qiye felt a secret sense of relief.

The next moment, however, a smile spread across his face.

"As it happens, I possess four wisps of immortal energy!"

"Does this not mean I can devour this thing and claim its immortal consciousness and soul for my own?"

"A treasure even coveted by the vandal must at least be of immortal grade! If I can devour it, it will be equivalent to gaining yet another trump card!"

Lin Qiye's eyes brightened.

He silently opened the Genesis Deduction again.

"How does one devour the immortal cranium?"

[This deduction requires 300,000 wandering points. After consumption, 5 million wandering points will remain. Do you wish to consume wandering points for the deduction?]

"Deduce!"

Lin Qiye did not hesitate. Thirty thousand wandering points were mere pocket change to him now.

Besides, spending 300,000 wandering points in exchange for an immortal-grade trump card—why wouldn't he?

It was an absolute steal!

Lin Qiye was incapable of indecision.

As he issued the command, the deduction results materialized before him.

[Deduction successful: Ripen it with immortal energy, and the embryo will wither, leaving behind only a tiny immortal cranium the size of a finger bone. There are two ways to use the miniature immortal cranium: First, implant it directly into your body to achieve symbiosis with the immortal cranium; second, comprehend the immortal runes contained within it, and devour it only after comprehension. (It is recommended to comprehend first, then devour)...]

Having obtained the deduction results, Lin Qiye nodded slightly.

"Ripen it with immortal energy first, then comprehend the immortal runes contained within, and finally devour the power within the immortal cranium. This path has the highest difficulty, but it is the safest."

Lin Qiye understood.

He took a step forward and vanished into the 'seawater'.

Outside, the five top psychics, blood still staining their noses and mouths, were still in a state of shock.

"Lord Gu has vanished?"

"He disappeared along with that giant brain egg?"

The group grew somewhat nervous.

The mature woman, however, waved her hand.

"It's fine. The psychic unsevered link between the lord and me has not suffered any damage, which means Lord Gu is not in mortal danger."

"Hurry up and consume our own fortune!"

With that, the woman crossed her legs and sat down.

The other four hastily began entering a state of refinement.

Meanwhile, in the middle of the seawater, Lin Qiye walked step by step toward the giant egg.

The giant egg offered no resistance; instead, it seemed rather eager.

"You desperately wish to devour immortal energy, do you not?"

"Come. Let me touch you."

The brain inside the giant egg trembled slightly.

Lin Qiye pressed his palm against the soft eggshell.

A wisp of immortal energy, accompanied by a lightning particle, merged into the brain embryo.

When the immortal energy touched the transparent brain—whose internal structures could be seen with absolute clarity—the brain instantly exerted a suction force, swallowing the immortal energy whole.

Following that, the brain began to develop rapidly.

The structures within the brain, winding and intertwining, grew extremely complex, with pulses of light flashing across them.

Next, bones began to sprout from the translucent brain.

"It is beginning to mature, is it not?"

As the words fell, a scene that left Lin Qiye dumbfounded occurred.

The fully matured brain suddenly began to shed its skull layer by layer.

Immediately afterward, the brain structure itself began to peel away, layer by layer, section by section, falling off and dissolving into nothingness.

Inside the entire eggshell, nothing remained except a single, pristine white, miniature skull the size of a finger bone.

Although tiny, every single structure of the human brain was present within the skull.

Dense runes flickered across the bone. Upon closer inspection, one could see that its skeletal structure was intricate and twisted; just a single glance was enough to plunge one's mind into a trance.

"These must be the psychic immortal runes, right?"

Lin Qiye looked at the runes flowing across the surface of the bone, a wave of excitement washing over him.

Although he knew very little about psychic energy, he could clearly sense the power contained within the miniature immortal cranium.

The immortal runes flowing across the skull undoubtedly harbored a psychic-related talent and ability—in other words, an immortal art!

As long as Lin Qiye thoroughly comprehended each of these immortal runes, he would acquire a brand new SSS-grade talent, or rather, a brand new immortal art!

With this thought in mind, Lin Qiye could wait no longer. He crossed his legs, cradled the miniature skull before his eyes, and took a deep breath, maximizing the sense of ritual.

"There are crystal mineral veins everywhere around here that can refine psychic energy; they will certainly aid my comprehension. The vandal would not choose a location casually."

"Right here, in one go, I will claim my fifth SSS-grade talent!"

Lin Qiye let out a long breath and, without hesitation, activated his once-every-two-years minor epiphany opportunity.

In an instant, cool liquid surged through Lin Qiye's mind, granting him extraordinary mental clarity. His consciousness operated a hundred, a thousand, ten thousand times faster than before!

The moment the epiphany state opened, the immortal runes that had previously left him dizzy and dazed were laid bare before him as if dissected, crystal clear.

Although still complex, they were no longer incomprehensible.

Lin Qiye's spirits lifted.

He immediately concentrated all his focus on overcoming the difficulties.

One hour.

Two hours.

Three hours.

Four hours.

Lin Qiye's expression grew increasingly ecstatic.

Almost there.

Success was just within reach!

Joy surged wildly within Lin Qiye's heart.

One by one, the immortal runes were deconstructed in Lin Qiye's mind, then transformed into immortal runes within his own body, coalescing into a brand-new talent.

As the epiphany progressed, it felt as though Lin Qiye's mind had been cracked open by a mysterious force!

Psychic energy swirled within it.

Rolling Dao chants even echoed around Lin Qiye, and lotus flowers condensed from psychic energy blossomed all around him.

The pristine white lotus petals drifted into the bodies of the five top psychics who were healing nearby, infusing their minds with a refreshing, soothing energy!

It healed their psychic injuries and elevated the quality of their psychic abilities.

At that moment, the five trembled. Shocked though they were, they were unwilling to wake up.

Because at that very moment, the five of them found themselves immersed in a fairyland. Amidst swirling clouds, melodious bell chimes faintly rang out, surrounded by immortal mountains and flying celestial beasts, creating a peaceful and serene atmosphere that left them utterly intoxicated.

They wandered within a painting, and all their fatigue and injuries vanished into thin air...

A mysterious force was even enhancing their capabilities.

...

Two hours later, Lin Qiye's epiphany abruptly ended.

Lin Qiye frowned slightly.

"Only a tiny bit was left, yet it cut off..."

Lin Qiye shook his head slightly.

He did not open his eyes, but instead continued his assault!

He knew that without the epiphany, attempting to comprehend further would be exceedingly difficult.

However, there was only one such chance.

If he failed to comprehend it, he wouldn't be able to devour the energy within the immortal cranium!

Without devouring that energy, he couldn't reach the SSS-grade psychic talent!

Lin Qiye had no intention of settling for less.

If he was going to awaken, he wanted to awaken to the absolute best!

Thus, Lin Qiye took a deep breath.

"Continue. With one final push, riding the momentum of the epiphany!"

...