"Since you have already obtained the scroll for the teleportation array, why do you still need to come back?" Zuo Qiu Wuji's voice rang out.
Ye Bufan stepped forward first and addressed the entire space, "Without accumulating small steps, one cannot travel a thousand miles; without accumulating small streams, one cannot form a vast ocean. The strength of a sect is not solely comprised of its most terrifying cultivation techniques, but also by other elements."
Zuo Qiu Wuji's voice disappeared for a moment before he spoke again, "Well said. However, there is nothing here worthy of your exploration."
"We came to seek mental power techniques," Ye Qingcheng stepped forward and said, "In this era, mental power techniques are scarce. In battle, they can grant us a sliver of survival on the ever-changing battlefield."
"What is today's date?" Zuo Qiu Wuji inquired.
"According to the last recorded mention of the Taiyi Divine Sect in historical records, it has been three thousand years," Ye Qingyi stepped forward and said, "Based on calculations from ancient texts, it has been at least five thousand years."
"Five thousand years. I never imagined the Taiyi Divine Sect had been gone from Blue Star for five millennia," Zuo Qiu Wuji sighed, then spoke with great seriousness, "I commend your aspirations. To obtain mental power techniques, you must first prove your strength. Before you lies your own sea of consciousness. Dive in, pass the test, and I shall grant you a gift."
Ye Qingcheng looked excitedly at Ye Bufan and Ye Qingyi, then leaped into the sea of consciousness.
"Alas," Ye Qingcheng sighed helplessly, then, along with Ye Bufan, Xun'er, and Ling'er, jumped into the sea of consciousness.
Upon entering the sea, Ye Bufan found that Ye Qingcheng's trace was gone. Immediately after, Ye Qingyi, who had been by his side, also vanished.
Ye Bufan felt himself within a nebulous space, as if enveloped by something. He had no senses, no breath, only an endless darkness.
The Heavenly Gang Wheel began to slowly rotate. Following this, Ye Bufan felt a continuous stream of energy being absorbed into the sea of consciousness by the Heavenly Gang Wheel. The wheel then spun faster and faster, beginning to incessantly devour the surrounding energy.
Zuo Qiu Wuji's faint remnant soul sensed the changes within the pavilion and noticed Ye Bufan.
"This... this seems to be... the Heavenly Gang Wheel?"
As a great cultivation sect from three thousand years ago, its collection of books on cultivation was vast. During his life, Zuo Qiu Wuji had once read a book that recorded a mysterious mental power technique in the myriad heavens, called the Heavenly Gang Wheel. It was said to have been left behind by a powerful being who had ascended to the celestial realm.
The Heavenly Gang Wheel could simulate the cosmic changes, like a black hole, absorbing external energy, unpredictable and incredibly strange.
"Who is this young man? Why does he possess such a peculiar technique?" Zuo Qiu Wuji mused. In a short while, the entire pavilion could no longer bear the strain and began to shake.
Ye Bufan also felt the benefits of the Heavenly Gang Wheel's absorption, as his own mental power greatly improved. However, soon after, his head began to ache as if it would split open.
"Absorb for me?" Ye Bufan sat cross-legged, floating in a void, attempting to control the operation of the Heavenly Gang Wheel with his mental power.
But once the Heavenly Gang Wheel began to operate, how could it stop?
Through the Heavenly Gang Wheel, Ye Bufan saw the endless starry sky, with stars exploding and nebulae forming. The Heavenly Gang Wheel continuously injected energy into the mysterious starry world it displayed.
"Compress! Compress! Compress further!" Ye Bufan continuously compressed his mental power, but the speed was still no match for the Heavenly Gang Wheel's absorption rate.
"The size of the sea of consciousness depends on the size of your heart. Your sea of consciousness is as vast as your heart," Ye Bufan recalled Lin Xiaoyao's words, "From a small stream, it converges into a river, and rivers flow into the sea, for the sea embraces all rivers."
"So, can the sea of consciousness also embrace all rivers?"
This question arose in Ye Bufan's mind. With this question, Ye Bufan began to allow his sea of consciousness to no longer reject the energy brought by the Heavenly Gang Wheel.
"Come, come, all of you, come to me," Ye Bufan took a deep breath. He had expected this process to be extremely painful, but to his surprise, his sea of consciousness was slowly expanding, accommodating more and more mental power from the Heavenly Gang Wheel.
Seeing this, Ye Bufan was overjoyed and began to incessantly absorb the mental power converted by the Heavenly Gang Wheel.
"Boom—"
With a muffled thud that echoed through the entire space, Zuo Qiu Wuji removed all the mental power trials within the pavilion. The Heavenly Gang Wheel's absorption also halted abruptly. If it continued, Zuo Qiu Wuji feared that Ye Bufan's Heavenly Gang Wheel would destroy the arrangements here.
"This feeling is amazing," Ye Bufan opened his eyes, feeling somewhat unsatisfied.
"Young man, you must not become fond of this feeling. Be careful not to fall into a state of qi deviation," Zuo Qiu Wuji warned Ye Bufan.
"Thank you for your reminder, senior," Ye Bufan opened his eyes. Ye Qingyi, Ye Qingcheng, Xun'er, and Ling'er looked confused. The promised trial had mysteriously disappeared.
"What's wrong?" He also glanced around. They were in a space resembling a library, with many books.
"This is the collection of mental power techniques I gathered throughout my life. You may choose three techniques from it," Zuo Qiu Wuji said.
"Only three?" Ye Qingcheng frowned, "How stingy."
Zuo Qiu Wuji's remnant soul heard Ye Qingcheng call him stingy and said with some displeasure, "Junior, do not be so greedy. The remaining items here are part of the legacy of my Taiyi Divine Sect. These are all that I can decide on."
"Fine, fine," Ye Qingcheng said without politeness.
Ye Qingyi and Ye Bufan exchanged a glance, and along with Xun'er, Ling'er, and the others, bowed to the entire space as a sign of respect.
"There's no need for such formalities, you people. Hurry and choose," Zuo Qiu Wuji's voice rang out. "Though this girl's words are impolite, they suit my taste. She's straightforward, no need to be so hesitant."
Ye Bufan smiled helplessly and entered the library of mental power techniques to begin selecting his cultivation methods.
"There are a total of one hundred and eighty-one mental power techniques here. Among them are one hundred and three of Yellow grade, sixty of Mysterious grade, fifteen of Earth grade, two of Heaven grade, and one incomplete scroll. You have fifteen minutes to choose," Zuo Qiu Wuji announced.
As his voice fell, Zuo Qiu Wuji's remnant soul's mental energy focused on Ye Bufan.