Night fell heavily over the Misty Forest, the mist thickening into a dense, inky blanket that muffled all sound except for the distant howl of a demonic beast and the rustle of leaves in the cold wind. Lin Mo’s figure moved like a shadow through the trees, his Body Lightening Step refined to near-perfection after hours of refinement. The golden light of the refined altar spiritual wisp lingered faintly at his fingertips, a silent reminder of the power he now wielded. He had veered far off the path taken by Elder Wang, relying on his Six Paths Immortal Root to sense the flow of spiritual energy in the forest, guiding him away from danger and toward a hidden valley he had spotted earlier during his escape.

The valley was a small, enclosed clearing surrounded by jagged rock formations and ancient oak trees whose roots snaked across the ground like sleeping giants. At its center was a stagnant pond, its surface black and still, reflecting the faint glow of the moon hidden behind thick clouds. This place was perfect—secluded, with a natural barrier of spiritual energy that would mask his presence from even a Foundation Establishment cultivator’s perception. Lin Mo wasted no time. He circled the pond twice, confirming no signs of recent activity, then unfolded his cloak and spread it on the ground, sitting cross-legged in the center.

The time for escape was over. It was time to act.

Lin Mo closed his eyes, his mind clearing of all thoughts of the chase and the battle. He focused inward, channeling the Six Paths Immortal Root into his dantian. The root, a complex network of golden veins that pulsed with the energy of the cosmos, responded instantly, its thrumming growing louder and more urgent. He reached into his waist pouch and pulled out the Forbidden Scroll, its surface covered in ancient, unrecognizable runes that seemed to writhe and twist when touched by light. This scroll, stolen from Elder Wang’s private chamber, was the key to understanding his true potential—and the key to surviving the sect’s internal strife.

With a deep breath, Lin Mo unrolled the scroll. The moment its surface touched his palm, a surge of white spiritual energy shot forth, slamming into his chest and throwing him backward. He landed hard on the moss, gasping for air, his vision swimming for a moment. The runes on the scroll blazed bright, projecting images and words into his mind—a forbidden art known as the Path of the Six Realms, a cultivation technique that allowed the user to merge with the fundamental energies of the six realms: Heaven, Earth, Mortal, Demon, Spirit, and Abyss.

“This is madness,” Lin Mo muttered, pushing himself back up. The technique was legendary, said to have been lost centuries ago for its danger. It required not just raw talent, but a compatibility with the Six Paths Immortal Root—a root that Lin Mo now possessed. The scroll’s energy pulsed in his mind, urging him forward, warning him of the consequences if he failed. To master the technique, he would have to absorb the essence of the altar spiritual wisp, channel it through the immortal root, and rewrite his cultivation base from the inside out. It was a gamble, one that could either make him a powerhouse or destroy his dantian entirely.

But Lin Mo had no other choice. Elder Wang wanted him dead, and the sect’s factions were growing more dangerous by the day. To survive, he needed power—raw, unbridled power that no amount of ordinary cultivation could provide.

“Let it begin,” he whispered.

Lin Mo placed both hands on the scroll, channeling the Six Paths Immortal Root into its runes. The scroll erupted in a burst of multicolored light—gold for Heaven, brown for Earth, blue for Mortal, red for Demon, green for Spirit, and black for Abyss. The light wrapped around Lin Mo like a cocoon, forcing his body to absorb the energy of the altar spiritual wisp. The golden light flooded his meridians, merging with the immortal root’s power, and the process was agonizing. Every nerve in his body screamed in pain, as if his bones were being crushed and his blood was boiling. Yet he held on, his resolve unshakable.

Hours passed. The moon rose high in the sky, its light filtering through the trees and illuminating the glowing cocoon surrounding Lin Mo. Outside the valley, the forest stirred. A pack of shadow wolves, drawn by the immense spiritual energy, circled the clearing, their eyes glowing with malice. But they dared not approach— the barrier of energy around Lin Mo was impenetrable, a wall of power that repelled even the most ferocious demonic beasts.

Inside the cocoon, Lin Mo’s body underwent a profound transformation. His meridians, once narrow and fragile, expanded to twice their size, capable of holding far more spiritual energy. His bones grew denser, his muscles stronger, his senses sharpened to inhuman levels. The Six Paths Immortal Root, previously a latent power, now bla