Lin Mu could feel the feel the uneven ground underneath him, but at the same time felt like something was different.
~step~
And when he took a step, he knew exactly what was different.
"Why is the gravity so weak here?" Lin Mu was confused as he found his body floating after his attest of taking a step.
He looked around and couldn't find anything within the range of his vision or his spirit sense. Picking a random direction, Lin Mu started to walk.
He ended up walking for about ten minutes before he realized that there was no obstacle in his path.
"Is this a cave? There are no walls that attached to the path up there." Lin Mu muttered in confusion.
His spirit sense could barely touch the ceiling of the underground area but not its borders. It made Lin Mu think that it might really be a large cave since even his spirit sense with a range of nearly hundred kilometer couldn't measure it.
Lin Mu walked for about an hour before he felt the energy waves getting stronger.
'They've gotten at least thrice as strong as before. Whatever they are coming from must be near.' Lin Mu guessed.
And surely, the very next minute, a structure appeared within the range of his sense. Getting closer to it, Lin Mu discovered that it was actually a spike of some kind.
"Is this a stalagmite?" Lin Mu observed it with his spirit sense and estimated the texture to be similar to that.
But at the very top of the spike, he found it to be a different material. It was far more smoother and could also repel his spirit sense. No matter how much he tried, it just wouldn't reach the top.
'Now that's interesting.' Lin Mu thought as he approached the structure.
And when the illumination of the Flame orbs spread to it, he finally witnessed what it was.
It was a beautiful crystal the size of a thumb. Under the light of the flame, it reflected a polychromatic light, making it seem as if there was a rainbow hidden within it. It was perhaps the most beautiful thing that Lin Mu had ever seen.
"Whoa…" Lin Mu couldn't help but exclaim.
He brought his hands forwards and carefully touched the crystal, finding it to be slightly warm to the touch. Though it was only warm compared to the surrounding temperature that was easily below freezing.
~HUMM~
And when Lin Mu touched it, he found the ring on his right middle finger trembling. It was the strongest reaction he had felt from it in a while, making him alert.
"Huh… just what is it?" Lin Mu wondered.
He could tell that the ring wasn't humming as a danger warning or as a desire. But rather as if to tell him that it was something powerful.
"Looks like you really found it." Xukong suddenly spoke.
Hearing this, Lin Mu knew that Senior Xukong had an idea of what it was.
"What is it senior? It doesn't match anything that I've read or heard of till now. And the energy coming from is is different too." Lin Mu asked.
"It is not something I've told you about before, since it was not the right time. And I didn't want you to think about it too much either, which I was sure you would do if you ever heard about it." Xukong replied, surprising Lin Mu even more.
"What you hold there… is a World Essence Crystal." Xukong finally revealed.
The name sounded rather grand to Lin Mu and also expressed some meaning, but still wasn't enough for Lin Mu's curiosity.
"What is it's use senior? Can I use it to increase my cultivation?" Lin Mu questioned excitedly.
"A World Essence Crystal is something that is formed when a world with life dies or is destroyed. It takes many years for it to from after its destruction, and it can be said to be a priceless object.
No matter the cultivation base of a person in this universe, all of them will desire it if they know its uses.
But ironically, it is not something that can increase their cultivation base.
What it can do is… much more frightening…" Xukong said and took a pause, leaving Lin Mu itching to know more.
"On its own, a World Essence crystal can modify the restrictions of a world, empower a world, and allow one to move between realms.
Other than this, it is can also be used in countless things, from refining spirit tools, spirit weapons, formation arrays, and a lot more." Xukong explained.
Hearing it all, Lin Mu could easily tell just how valuable such a thing was. He couldn't even imagine just what kind of weapons and spirit tools could be made from it, not to mention the formation arrays.
Lin Mu might have been told the uses of the World Essence crystal, but the intrinsic properties of it would need to be learned separately.
Though the immediate use of the World Essence Crystal was already enough for Lin Mu to think about a few options.
"Can this… be used for me to leave the Xiaofan world?" Lin Mu questioned.
"Easily. Just that alone will be enough to send you across the Grand Void and into a different realm." Xukong answered.
"Then… isn't this basically a direct way to ascend?" Lin Mu felt himself tremble.
"Indeed. One doesn't need to reach the Immortal Ascension realm to move to the Immortal Realm." Xukong confirmed.
Upon hearing it, Lin Mu almost felt like the small world essence rattly in his hand and turned into a heavy mountain. It wasn't its weight actually increasing, but the value within Lin Mu's mind increasing exponentially.
"Keep it for now. It shall be a great trump card for you." Xukong ordered.
"Y-yes, senior!" Lin Mu hurriedly stored it in the ring, afraid that it might just run away or disappear.
He wasn't fully sure it could do that either, with all the miraculous abilities it had!
With the World Essence crystal safely tucked away in the ring, Lin Mu took a breath of relief.
