The future Spiritual Division will continue to develop toward the direction of "ceremonial enlightenment," not merely focusing on marriage, reproduction, and the sustenance of living beings.

The Heavenly Square Pavilion still failed to bring much good news. 𝚏𝕣𝐞𝗲𝐰𝕖𝐛𝐧𝕠𝕧𝚎𝚕.𝐜𝚘𝗺

The Western Sect has been continuously retreating to the small hidden realms outside the heavens, strengthening the concealment formations of those secret realms. They’ve even started playing tricks, setting traps specifically for the scouts of the Heavenly Square Pavilion, causing significant losses to its elite members.

It’s not just the Heavenly Square Pavilion; even the Jie Sect couldn’t uncover too much about the hidden realms of the Western Sect.

Because the last sources of incense offerings haven’t been cut off, the inner Heavenly Dao still persists.

Li Ping’an has always been unable to use the Lingxiao Palace, leaving him deeply uncomfortable.

However, today the Heavenly Square Pavilion brought Li Ping’an a small surprise.

Feng Jigui reported: "Your Majesty, as per your instructions, we’ve conducted a detailed sample comparison and identified a small realm where the five elements are incomplete and spiritual energy has been severed. The soil there is entirely like this."

"Oh?" Li Ping’an’s eyes lit up. "Bring it here!"

Feng Jigui carefully carried a brocade box forward and respectfully placed it on the desk.

Li Ping’an impatiently opened the brocade box for a closer look. He pinched a bit of the soil and brought it to his nose to sniff.

"Is the quantity large?"

"Yes," Feng Jigui replied, "Approximately two hundred million cubic meters of this soil."

Li Ping’an’s spirits immediately soared.

From a corner, Ye Zisang couldn’t help but murmur, "Your Majesty, you’ve been seeking these strange things for years. What purpose do they serve?"

Li Ping’an simply smiled without responding.

From his sleeve, he retrieved two porcelain bottles, shaking out some powder from each. He then skillfully drew soil from the brocade box with immortal power, sifted and blended the powders with his fingertips, fusing them together.

Li Ping’an said, "Everyone, observe closely. Tell me what you notice about this powder."

The immortals stared at the powder on Li Ping’an’s desk, perplexed.

Zi Yao, perceptive as ever, softly remarked, "It seems there is no spiritual power within this."

"Exactly," Li Ping’an replied with a grin. "These powders contain no spiritual power, nor any lingering spiritual energy. They are the simplest substances from the Desolate Era—not ubiquitous but evenly distributed across many realms within the Desolate Era. ... Keep watching."

Li Ping’an flicked his finger.

The pile of ash spontaneously condensed into a pellet and flew to the open space outside the hall.

With a casual gesture, Li Ping’an laid down two layers of immortal power barriers. Then, snapping his fingers, a faint ember sparked near the pellet.

Bang!

A fireball instantly erupted, unfurling a black mushroom cloud spanning dozens of meters in diameter.

The officials were struck dumb.

Li Ping’an merely narrowed his eyes, suppressing a sigh in his heart.

In the end, he’s embarked on this irredeemable path.

This creation is certainly far beyond being mere sulfur, saltpeter, and charcoal. The power of soil-based explosives couldn’t possibly reach such levels; this formula was the result of twelve years of experimentation. Thousands of minerals had been tested, hundreds of refinement techniques explored, and tens of thousands of immortals dispatched to search throughout various regions.

Indeed, using immortal techniques and spirit stones for formations could easily unleash greater power with "equal mass."

But...

This represents a new path.

If the conventional framework of spiritual energy, cultivation, and essential source objects of Heaven and Earth prove inadequate, then he would blaze another trail.

A path that reduces everything to the fundamental levels of matter and energy, developing an entirely different method—one that doesn’t rely on spiritual energy or spirit stones nor originates from cultivation civilization—to harness energy.

Li Ping’an never truly wanted to pursue these ideas. Despite his fascination, the allure of cultivation with its promises of flight and transcendence consistently held his impulses at bay.

But now, things are very different.

Thanks to that Transcender who gifted him this seemingly insignificant skill, now imbued with new meaning.

"I will continue refining the formula. For now, let’s call this invention ’Spiritless Bomb.’"

Li Ping’an said leisurely:

"Its current power is still too low. The day I can use a pill-sized portion of this soil and a small ember to injure a Yuan Immortal—that will be the day a new era announces its dawn."

The officials remained frozen, unable to recover from the spectacle before their eyes. Meanwhile, Li Ping’an had already drifted away, humming the tune he had enjoyed during a performance in his private chambers not long ago.

Zi Yao’s gaze shimmered with fascination.

She watched Li Ping’an’s retreating figure and couldn’t help but reveal a hint of a smile.

At the same time, hidden in the shadows, the coffin-bound spirit’s eyes sparkled brightly.

He was already contemplating eliminating Li Ping’an outright.

"Interesting... I’ll see how far you’ll tread this path. If you truly manage to carve a road beyond Pangu’s domain, this poor Daoist might consider taking you along toward transcendence."

The coffin-bound spirit began observing Li Ping’an with greater frequency.