My Martial Spirit is Nanobot

Chapter 417: Chapter 417 North Sea

As the remaining disciples slowly rose, their movements jerky and filled with fear, Lin Lee’s gaze caught one figure among them... Hua Lan. Her expression was pale, like the others, but her eyes, usually bright and lively, held a strange, thoughtful intensity as she looked at him.

"Little Lan, do not make an enemy of this person! Immediately! Leave this place and do not look back!" A sharp, female voice, laced with urgency and powerful spiritual residue, sounded only inside Hua Lan’s mind. This voice belonged to the ancient soul that inhabited her spirit sea, probably her golden finger.

Hua Lan’s eyes widened imperceptibly, and she quickly averted her gaze, her heart pounding.

"Even possessing the Heavenly Bead of Life, one cannot cross so many major realms in such a short time. He was a Qi refiner just weeks ago. His talent is terrifyingly high, or his technique defies logic. My senses tell me he is connected to fate... a force we cannot oppose right now." The Soul continued, its voice now tinged with a deep, ancient shock.

’Master, what are Heavenly Beads? I don’t understand. And is it... the reason for your demise in the past?’ Hua Lan sent her thought back hesitantly, keeping her eyes glued to the dust at her feet.

A profound silence descended in her mind. Then, the Soul’s voice returned, heavy with repressed memory and fear. "There are ten heavenly beads, treasures that emerged at the dawn of existence. Each one holds an innate law... Life, Death, Creation, Destruction, Fate, Destiny, Spirit, World, Chaos, Hongmeng. They are the ultimate treasures of the universe. The one he possesses is the Life Bead, and it is capable of stealing the very essence of life and cultivation."

The Soul paused, and when it spoke again, its voice was barely a whisper, filled with ancient, deep-seated malice. "You guess right, Little Lan... My demise... It was caused by the wielder of one of the other Heavenly Beads, the Bead of Destruction. Now, stay silent and leave this place. Remember my advice: befriend him in the future, if you can, but do not cross him now." The Soul fell silent, hiding its presence completely.

Hua Lan took a deep, shaky breath, anchoring herself. She glanced one final time at Lin Lee... His calm demeanor amidst the devastation, the cold, powerful light in his eyes, and then, without another word, she turned and hurried away with the small cluster of surviving disciples.

Lin Lee, who had already noticed her thoughtful, extended gaze, watched her receding back with an amused, contemplative expression. He smiled faintly and shook his head.

’It’s not the time to interact with the Heavenly Chosen Child,’ he mused internally. He knew the sudden appearance of both Yang Yu (the former possessor of the Life Bead) and Hua Lan within the same small, minor sect could not be a coincidence. One was the possessor of a Heavenly Bead, and the other was guided by an ancient, powerful soul... both were prime examples of a world’s "Heavenly Chosen" or "Destiny Stars."

He noticed the special soul presence in Hua Lan’s mind when he first saw her, because the ancient soul inside her mind used its spiritual observation on him.

Lin Lee then dismissed his thoughts. Such alliances or conflicts with heavenly children could wait. His priority was to stabilize his Flawless Jindan and break through to the next realm. Also, he will inevitably go against these chosen beings, as his target is ten heavenly beads and the unique treasure Verse Bender.

He looked at the ruins one last time, then a flying spirit sword appeared in front of him belonging to one of the elders he just killed, and he stepped on it and flew away toward the north, leaving behind the shattered remnants of the Hua Sect.

...

After a few days,

Lin Lee, now flying north on the borrowed sword, felt the wind sharpen against his face, the spiritual power of his Flawless Jindan core making the journey feel effortless. The world beneath him blurred into a tapestry of green mountains and winding rivers, all minor landscapes that held no challenge for him.

He eventually found a remote, nameless mountain range far to the north, sparsely populated by small, weak spirit beasts. There, he located a deep, quiet cave, sealing the entrance with simple concealment and silencing formations.

Inside the cave, Lin Lee sat cross-legged, his mind focused entirely on consolidating his new power. The energy gained from devouring four Jindan experts and a Yuan Ying Ancestor was immense and chaotic, but the Heavenly Life Bead efficiently purified and integrated it.

His Flawless Golden Core, a miniature sun of dark-gold light, floated serenely within his spiritual sea, radiating waves of incredibly pure qi that spread through the cave. The air itself seemed to condense around him, a tangible pressure that would crush any ordinary Foundation Establishment cultivator.

Days turned into weeks. He consumed the remaining high-grade pills and herbs, refining his core’s energy until it reached absolute stability. His strength reached the very limit of the Jindan realm.

Suddenly, Lin Lee’s eyes snapped open, a deep, frustrated frown creasing his brow.

’The Yuan Ying realm...’ he mused internally, the thought heavy with difficulty. ’I have a Flawless Core and the power of a devouring technique, yet the barrier to the Nascent Soul is incredibly stable. It’s not a matter of energy; it’s a matter of comprehending a higher spiritual law. Even with all these stolen resources, breaking through to the Yuan Ying realm won’t be easy here.’

He took a slow breath, then reached into his robe and pulled out the thin scroll he had stolen from the hidden compartment in the Hua Sect Treasury... the one with the mysterious map.

He unrolled the map, spreading it out before him on the stone floor. The ancient sketch showed mountains and territories, but his gaze settled on the red mark pulsing faintly at the far northern edge.

’This location... it was hidden even from the sect master. It must contain something capable or important, perhaps a way to a higher spirit realm.’

After committing the map to memory, Lin Lee rolled it up and stored it away. He stood up, his gaze distant, already feeling the pull of the unknown.

With a final check of the simple formations, he stepped out of the cave. The flying spirit sword reappeared, and with a soft whoosh, Lin Lee was airborne, flying steadily toward the north, guided by the memory of the red mark.

He passed over sprawling towns, bustling cities, and small settlements nestled in valleys. His spiritual sense swept over them, a vast, silent flood of consciousness. He did not sense any expert who could challenge a Peak Jindan, so he ignored the mortal world beneath and flew onward.

A few months passed like a brief moment in the life of an immortal cultivator. The terrain below shifted from green forests to sparse, jagged mountains and finally to desolate, gray plains.

Then, the land abruptly ended.

Lin Lee hovered at the edge of a massive, towering cliff. Below him, stretching into a hazy, turbulent horizon, was the boundless, dark-blue ocean. The salt air was heavy and cold, and the sound of crashing waves echoed with a fierce, untamed power.

He glanced toward the true north, where the endless sea seemed to grow darker and more dangerous. The atmosphere above the water was thick with aggressive, chilling qi... a primal, spiritual energy that smelled of blood and decay.

’The North Sea... the territory of the Sea Demons,’ Lin Lee thought, his eyes narrowing slightly. He knew the ocean was a perilous realm, ruled by powerful and ruthless demonic cultivators and ancient aquatic beasts, and that the marked location on the map lay directly across this deadly expanse.

Lin Lee’s expression became deep, a thoughtful frown settling on his features. Crossing this ocean with just his Peak Flawless Jindan cultivation was a high-risk gamble.

While he could effortlessly handle anything in the mountainous region behind him, the deeper waters held legendary beasts capable of challenging even Nascent Soul cultivators.

He needed an edge. A powerful, refined artifact to supplement his fighting strength.

He glanced at the spiritual sword he was currently standing on, then dismissed it with a wave of his hand. It was a useful flying tool, but nothing more.

His attention shifted internally, focusing on his Life Bead’s spatial storage. Inside lay a small cache of spiritual weapons and materials he had "collected" during his sweep of the Hua Sect Treasury, most notably the Soul-Reaping Scythe... the spiritual natal artifact he had ripped from Ancestor Yuan.

The scythe, a magnificent two-foot-long weapon of pure dark power, was already an immensely potent spirit-grade artifact.

However, as a natal weapon, it was originally attuned to Ancestor Yuan’s dark, Yuan Ying-realm cultivation. Lin Lee’s unique power needed a weapon that resonated perfectly with his Boundless Heaven Art.

’The scythe is powerful, but not a true natal artifact for me. I can forcibly bond with it, but to truly maximize its potential, I must refine and merge it with the other high-grade forging materials I possess, then refine a proper natal weapon for myself,’ Lin Lee mused.

...