Lin Mu's POV:
Centuries continued to weave their tapestry within the Verdant Heaven. Ling Yue's mastery of the temporal herb-acceleration technique was remarkable, allowing us to cultivate potent remedies and gather vast quantities of rare ingredients in mere days of external time. The Eternal Sprout Sanctuary flourished under her care, becoming a verdant haven of potent life force.
My own cultivation had reached the late stages of Core Formation. The swirling core within me pulsed with a power that felt increasingly untethered, resonating with the fundamental energies of the Verdant Heaven in a way that hinted at the next major breakthrough. The system echoed this anticipation:
[Cultivation Nearing Bottleneck: Approaching Soul Embodiment Realm.]
[Warning: Transition to Soul Embodiment Realm is accompanied by a significant Heavenly Tribulation.]
A familiar sense of unease settled in. Tribulations. The trials that cultivators faced when stepping into a new major realm, tests of their strength, will, and connection to the Dao. The system's warning carried a weight that even centuries of secluded cultivation couldn't entirely dispel.
As if in response to this impending trial, the Verdant Heaven began to reveal even deeper layers of its past. While exploring a newly accessible region – a vast, crystalline desert under a sky of swirling nebulae – I stumbled upon a series of intricate energy matrices etched into colossal crystal formations. These matrices pulsed with residual power, and as I touched them, more fragmented memories flooded my mind.
These memories were clearer, more coherent than those from the primordial sapling. They depicted a civilization of beings who had once called the Verdant Heaven their home, beings who possessed a profound understanding of energy manipulation and the very fabric of space. They seemed to have cultivated in harmony with the Verdant Heaven's unique properties, their techniques echoing principles of what I understood as advanced physics.
One particularly vivid memory showed a figure standing amidst a raging storm of cosmic energy within the crystalline desert, manipulating the very laws of physics to defend against an unseen enemy. The raw power on display was staggering, far beyond anything I had yet comprehended.
[Analysis: Absorbed memories indicate advanced manipulation of fundamental forces and spatial energies.]
These echoes of the past offered tantalizing glimpses into the Verdant Heaven's true potential and the level of power that could be achieved within its confines. They also hinted at a potential danger, the "unseen enemy" in the memory suggesting a history of conflict within this seemingly peaceful realm.
Sharing these new discoveries with Ling Yue, her scientific curiosity was ignited. Together, we spent what felt like decades studying the energy matrices, trying to decipher their intricate workings. Her innate understanding of natural energies, combined with my fragmented memories of physics from Earth, allowed us to slowly unravel some of their secrets.
As my breakthrough to the Soul Embodiment Realm drew closer, the system issued another notification:
[Tribulation Analysis: Based on current cultivation and connection to Verdant Heaven, anticipated tribulation will involve manipulation of fundamental forces and spatial distortions.]
The system's analysis confirmed my growing unease. The tribulation I faced would likely mirror the ancient conflict hinted at in the Verdant Heaven's memories, a trial that would test my understanding and control of the very forces that underpinned my unique cultivation.
The option to enter my Dao Field before facing the tribulation became increasingly appealing. The thought of weathering such a dangerous trial in the relative safety of my personal sanctuary offered a much-needed sense of security.
As the final signs of the impending breakthrough manifested – a restless surge of energy within me and a subtle shift in the Verdant Heaven's ambient energies – I knew the time had come. I gathered Ling Yue within the Eternal Sprout Sanctuary, explaining the looming tribulation and my intention to retreat into my Dao Field to prepare.
"Be careful, Tianxing," she said, her eyes filled with a mixture of concern and unwavering trust.
I nodded, a sense of resolve hardening within me. The echoes of the past, the weight of my hidden power, and the looming tribulation all converged. The time for quiet cultivation was drawing to a close. The next step on my path would be a perilous one, a trial that would test the very foundations of my unique existence. But I would face it, armed with the knowledge of the ancients and the unwavering support of the woman who had become my anchor in this timeless paradise. The Eternal Earthling was about to step into a new realm, and the secrets of the Verdant Heaven's past might hold the key to his future.