The Lord of Heaven: A Road to Eternity

Chapter 08: Carving the Spatial Formation

Han Nian stood at the edge of the pool that had turned black, then shifted his gaze to the other side of the cave.

There, several other natural pools still remained. Their water was chalk-white. Pure energy continued to rise slowly, indicating that the reserves of the ten-thousand-year stalactite milk had not yet been touched.

Han Nian stared at them for quite a while.

If he absorbed all of it, it was entirely possible that Silver Dragon Bones would be achieved immediately.

But in the end, he slowly shook his head. “No.” His voice was firm. “Father… Mother… and Brother Han Tian need it too.”

He remembered the faces of his parents who had worked tirelessly for the family. He also remembered Han Tian, who had always stood in front of him when they were young.

Even a single drop of stalactite milk was extraordinarily valuable. Let alone an entire pool.

“I’ll give part of it to them. The rest can be sold in exchange for cultivation resources.”

His gaze sharpened. “The road ahead is still long.”

After making that decision, he no longer thought about the pools.

Now his focus shifted. “Dragon God Soul Technique.”

If the Dragon God Body strengthened the physique, then the Dragon God Soul strengthened the foundation of consciousness, spirituality, and mental power.

Without a strong soul, high-level techniques would only become a burden.

Han Nian sat cross-legged. He summoned the seven-colored flame within his body. But this time, he did not let it burn wildly.

He controlled it with extreme precision. The temperature was lowered. Held at the lowest threshold that still retained a burning effect.

“Begin…”

The heavenly flame slowly touched the core of his soul.

In an instant, the pain that arose far surpassed bone tempering.

“UGH—!”

His body trembled violently.

If bone tempering felt like being crushed by a hammer, then soul tempering was like being roasted alive from within his own consciousness.

He was truly roasting his own soul.

If the temperature rose even slightly, his soul could be scorched. If the flame weakened, there would be no effect.

The balance was razor-thin.

Han Nian gritted his teeth.

“I cannot make a mistake…”

His consciousness felt torn apart. He felt as if he stood at the brink of death at every moment.

Several times his vision darkened. Several times he felt his life nearly separating from his body.

Yet he endured.

“I need spiritual power…”

A cultivator without spiritual strength was like a blind man in battle.

With a strong soul, he could:

— Sense the aura of living beings from afar.

— Distinguish pure energy from demonic energy.

— Control formations and artifacts.

— Intimidate opponents with mental pressure.

Day after day passed.

The flame roasted. The soul hardened. Consciousness expanded.

Time flowed unnoticed.

One month later, Han Nian slowly opened his eyes.

His gaze was different. Calm. Deep. As if two bottomless vortices were hidden behind his pupils.

He released his divine consciousness.

An invisible wave spread outward from the cave.

It pierced through trees.

Swept across the mountain slopes.

Reached a radius of twenty-five kilometers.

Every living being within that range became clear in his perception. Nocturnal birds. Spirit beasts. Even tiny insects beneath stones.

Han Nian withdrew his consciousness.

“My spiritual power… has increased drastically.”

He slowly stood up.

Now it was time for the next step.

His gaze fell upon the fragments of ice jade on the right side of the cave.

He picked up one of the best pieces—dense, clear, with a stable cold aura.

“I need a spatial ring.”

Using the heavenly flame, he began melting and reforging the jade.

The process was precise.

Not too hot, so its spiritual structure would not be damaged. Not too cold, so it could still be shaped.

In just fifteen minutes, a simple ring formed in his hand.

It had no spatial function yet.

Only an empty vessel.

Han Nian closed his eyes, searching for spatial formation patterns in his memory.

Hundreds of formations flashed by.

Low-level. Mid-level. High-level.

Finally, he found a stable pattern suitable for the initial stage.

“This will do.” He put the ring on his finger.

Then slowly sent his spiritual consciousness into it.

With the power of his newly tempered soul, he began carving the spatial formation into the jade’s internal structure.

Every stroke was made with consciousness.

If even one line deviated, The ring would shatter. Or worse, Explode.

Han Nian steadied his breathing. His spiritual consciousness transformed into a fine blade.

And slowly, He began carving the first spatial formation of his life.

The carving process turned out to be far more complex than he had imagined.

Every line had to be precise. Every energy node had to remain balanced.

Even the slightest mistake would cause the spatial structure within the jade to collapse.

Two full hours passed.

Sweat dripped from Han Nian’s forehead despite the cave’s cold temperature.

Finally, A faint light ignited on the surface of the ring. The spatial structure within stabilized.

Han Nian sent his spiritual consciousness inside to inspect.

The space had formed.

But it was still small.

“Around… thirty meters.”

He nodded slightly.

For a first attempt, that was already extraordinary.

Spatial rings could only store inanimate objects. Living beings could not survive inside due to the absence of natural energy flow.

Han Nian stared at the ring for a moment, then smiled faintly. “It can still be improved.”

He picked up another piece of ice jade from the side of the cave.

This time, his movements were more confident.

The second attempt began.

His hands were steadier. His spiritual consciousness more focused.

One hour later, The second ring was complete.

Its spatial structure was slightly more stable, though still around thirty meters.

“Faster.”

He did not stop.

The third attempt began immediately.

Now he had grasped the rhythm of carving formations.

Line after line was engraved more smoothly.

In just thirty minutes, The third ring was finished. But the moment the formation light ignited, Han Nian’s body swayed.

His spiritual power was nearly depleted. His head felt heavy, as if dragged downward by an invisible weight.

“The Dragon God Soul Technique increases capacity… but spatial formations consume a great deal as well.”

He sat cross-legged and immediately began meditating.

He regulated his breathing.

Drew in the surrounding natural energy.

The flame within his soul pulsed gently, helping restore his consciousness.

One hour later—

His eyes opened once more. His spiritual power had recovered. Without hesitation, he activated the first ring he wore on his finger.

The other two rings were placed into the storage space. Instantly, both disappeared from his palm.

Han Nian nodded in satisfaction. “Convenient.”

He stood and walked toward the corner of the cave where the bundle he had brought from home lay.

He unwrapped the cloth and took out clean clothes.

His body, now white as jade and more upright, felt light as the fabric touched his skin.

After dressing, his aura became controlled once more, no longer wild like during tempering.

His gaze returned to the remaining stalactite milk pools.

He stepped closer.

With careful movements, he began transferring the stalactite milk into his spatial ring using spiritual control.

The white liquid slowly rose from the pool, forming a thin stream before disappearing into the thirty-meter space within the ring.