Silver threads woven from pure Spirit Breath shuttled through his meridians. After several full circulation cycles, Han Yu opened his eyes.

The Star Luo Traction Technique was initiated.

With a mere thought, the silver threads extended outward like phantom limbs. They coiled around the jade slip in his robes—which was still radiating a fading heat—and lifted it into the air, suspending it steadily before his eyes.

It was similar to standard telekinesis, yet the precision and weightlessness were in a different league entirely. It felt as though the silver threads were not just tools, but living extensions of his own nervous system. The sensory feedback was finer, the reaction speed instantaneous.

Only then did Han Yu notice the change. The divine silver glow of the jade slip had vanished, leaving behind a dull, ordinary piece of stone.

He probed it with his spiritual sense. The text remained—the twenty-character mantra and the cryptic descriptions were unchanged.

But the essence was gone. No matter who held this jade slip in the future, they would never be able to learn the Star Luo Traction Technique from it. It was a one-time inheritance.

Han Yu recited the mantra silently, enlightenment dawning on him.

The secret to mastering this technique lay in the convergence of “Heaven, Earth, and Man.” One had to cultivate under the starlight of the night sky (Heaven), maintain absolute mental clarity against the technique’s induced agitation (Man), and hold the original inheritance jade slip in hand (Mechanism).

Only when all three conditions aligned would the technique activate. Otherwise, a cultivator could meditate for a hundred years and achieve nothing.

No hints, no instructions. Relying entirely on the disciple’s intuition… this was truly diabolical.

If Han Yu hadn’t used two Mystic Heart Fruits to forcibly suppress the mental chaos, he likely would have thrown the jade slip aside in frustration after the second attempt. He certainly wouldn’t have analyzed the hidden meanings behind “Star Luo” and “Dipper Radiance.”

His only regret was that he hadn’t realized the jade slip was the inheritance medium itself. If he had known, he would have waited a few days to make a copy of the text before draining the artifact. It might have been useful research material.

As Han Yu frowned at the floating stone, lost in thought, Elder Lü spoke up from the side, misunderstanding his silence.

“What? Still no clue?”

Han Yu blinked, surprised. Can Master not see the silver threads?

With a thought, the invisible threads gently lowered the jade slip back into his robes.

“Master,” Han Yu asked, “did you see how I retrieved and stored the jade slip just now?”

Elder Lü chuckled. “Why the mystery? You used Spirit Breath to lift it, didn’t you?”

Han Yu shook his head. “No. That was the Star Luo Traction Technique.”

“Oh, it’s the Star Luo…” Elder Lü’s smile froze. His eyes widened. “The Star Luo Traction Technique?!”

“Disciple, you succeeded?”

“Yes, Master. I have mastered the basics.”

Elder Lü stared at his eighteenth disciple, struck dumb.

Is this what ‘Universal Comprehension’ means?

If this didn’t qualify, Elder Lü didn’t know what possibly could. A technique that even the Sect Leader failed to learn, mastered in a single night?

“The Sect Leader has likely begun his evening cultivation; we shouldn’t disturb him now,” Elder Lü muttered, pacing slightly. “Disciple, circulate the technique again. Check for any hidden dangers or backlash.”

Han Yu nodded. He didn’t rush. Instead, he explained the process to Elder Lü in detail—the need for starlight, the induced agitation, and the consumption of the jade slip’s energy. Elder Lü had treated him with sincerity; Han Yu returned the favor by sharing his insights.

Elder Lü listened, clicking his tongue in amazement. “Conditions that harsh, with zero guidance? It really is a puzzle meant to be solved by intuition alone.”

“Even a genius with high comprehension would fail without the jade slip itself acting as a guide.”

Lü paused, a frown touching his brow. “But the Sect Leader obtained this jade slip over a hundred years ago during his travels in the Central Heaven Domain. He was already at Foundation Establishment then. With the slip in hand… did he truly never try to learn it?”

Han Yu considered this. “The Sect Leader insisted I return the jade slip within one month, regardless of success or failure. He seemed quite attached to it.”

“If it were merely a tool for a technique he couldn’t learn, he wouldn’t value it so highly. I suspect… it has sentimental value.”

Elder Lü’s expression softened. He nodded slowly. “I see.”

“The path of cultivation is a journey against the current; once you move forward, there is no turning back. Perhaps what he cherishes most is the memory of that youthful journey.”

“Let us keep this to ourselves. It is not our place to speculate on the Sect Leader’s past.”

“Yes, Master.”

Han Yu resumed his practice, manipulating the silver threads again. He extended a strand for Elder Lü to inspect.

“Incredible,” Lü murmured, sensing the energy. “To the naked eye, it is invisible. But under spiritual inspection, it reveals itself… So, this technique with the grandiose name—is its only function this thread?”

“I can refine multiple Star Luo Threads,” Han Yu explained. “According to the intent I sensed, at higher levels, they can deflect or even control an enemy’s spells and Magical Artifacts.”

“That is certainly useful.” Elder Lü looked up at the vast canopy of stars above the courtyard. “But disciple, a word of caution. Although your ‘Universal Comprehension’ allows you to learn quickly, do not become greedy.”

“It is better to master a few killing strikes and defensive arts than to be mediocre in a thousand. Focus your energy on raising your cultivation base.”

Lü gestured to the sky. “Look at the stars. There are countless lights in the heavens, but if you look away, how many can you truly remember?”

Han Yu looked up. Among the sea of lights, a few stars seemed to burn with a piercing, rhythmic intensity he had never noticed before. They seemed to resonate with the silver threads inside him.

Is this the effect of the technique?

The next morning, a servant announced Li Yunxia’s arrival.

Han Yu walked out to the courtyard gate and found his Senior Sister standing on her flying shuttle. Perched on the rim were three crows: the Big Crow, the Little Crow, and the one mutated with the Flame Technique.

“I tried to get them to sit on my shoulder,” Li Yunxia said with a sigh, “but they refused to get close to anyone but you, Little Eighteen. It’s a good thing they’re sentient enough to understand orders, or I wouldn’t have been able to bring them at all.”

She looked at the birds regretfully. She had hoped to bond with her junior brother’s magnificent spirit beasts, but they remained aloof.

Han Yu thanked her and opened his new Spirit Beast Bag. “Get in. Let’s test it.”

He queried their feelings through the mental link.

The three crows responded in unison: Cramped. Stuffy. But acceptable.

Han Yu nodded. The bag would serve for transport, but he wouldn’t keep them in there long-term. He would arrange for Spirit Beast Tokens so they could roam the Main Peak freely.

Elder Lü emerged from his room. After receiving their greetings, he looked at Li Yunxia. “Do you have duties today?”

“No, Master.”

“Good. Stay and spar with your Junior Brother. I will offer guidance.”

“Yes, Master.”

Elder Lü turned to Han Yu. “Let’s go, disciple. We need to see Sect Leader Qi first. You can practice spells when we return.”

Han Yu followed Elder Lü to the Sect’s Great Hall.

At the entrance, they found Elder Bai listening to a deacon’s report.

“Is there trouble?” Elder Lü asked as they approached.

Elder Bai smiled, his expression relaxed. “Actually, it might be good news.”

“Oh?”

“Our scouts report that although the Spirit Beast Sect relocated many mortals into the Ten Thousand Beasts Mountain Range, they haven’t slaughtered them. In fact, the mortals seem to be living quite well,” Elder Bai said. “Perhaps the Spirit Beast Sect isn’t as deranged as we feared.”

“Is that so?” Elder Lü frowned, skeptical. “Since when does the Spirit Beast Sect have a conscience?”

He shook off the thought and grinned at Elder Bai. “But never mind them. You must have guessed why we are here. My disciple has successfully cultivated the secret technique. A double celebration for the morning!”

What?

Elder Bai’s expression shifted from confusion to incredulity. He stared at Han Yu, his mouth slightly open.

“Huh?”