Bitter Cultivation in the Illusion Realm

Young Eagle Pavilion was a magnificent building. The Qi Refining Hall alone covered several thousand square meters and served as a training ground for Spirit Movement Stage disciples. At this moment, dozens of people stood scattered throughout the spacious hall.

It was still early, and the Foundation Establishment Realm cultivator responsible for teaching cultivation techniques had not yet arrived. The disciples gathered in twos and threes, discussing matters that interested them.

Lin Xuan quietly made his way to a less crowded corner and sat down cross-legged, intending to cultivate a while longer while there was still time. Just then, a set of footsteps reached his ears.

"Hehe, isn't this Junior Brother Lin?"

"I heard you went into seclusion some time ago. Still couldn't break through to the second layer?"

The snickering voices carried mockery. Lin Xuan frowned slightly, yet his expression revealed nothing. In the eyes of Mortals, cultivators possessed the bearing of immortals, their Spells unfathomable, like divine beings untouched by the dust of the mortal world. In truth, that was merely an outward appearance.

The Cultivation World was crueler, more realistic, and more snobbish than the secular world!

The difference was that money was not discussed here. Strength was the foundation of power and influence.

Whoever had the higher realm, the better Dharma Treasures, the more pills—he was the boss, and whatever he said became the truth.

Though Lin Xuan had cultivated harder than anyone else over the past three years, the flaw of having no Spirit Root had still left him far behind his fellow disciples. He had endured no shortage of cold stares because of it.

"Hmph, he's just a Mortal without a Spirit Root. No matter how hard he tries, he can never compare to us. Rather than remain in the sect and disgrace himself, he might as well have the sense to go down the mountain."

"Exactly. Three years, and he still can't break through the second layer of the Spirit Movement Stage. He's nothing but trash."

Faced with the jeers of his senior brothers, Lin Xuan did not even blink. His expression remained unchanged. They were merely a few bored fools. After giving them a cold glance, Lin Xuan moved aside.

He was not angry, not because he was weak or afraid, but because such shallow people were simply not worth it. Lin Xuan would not let a few verbal barbs disturb his state of mind.

Sitting down cross-legged, he began to absorb spiritual energy. About half an hour passed before the sound of a bell reached his ears. The disciples, who had been chatting casually, immediately fell silent and lined up. Lin Xuan also went to the back of the line.

A middle-aged man entered. He looked to be in his forties, though he was certainly older than that. As cultivators advanced in realm, their lifespans lengthened and the effects of aging gradually slowed.

"Master!"

The disciples bowed in salute. According to the rules of Floating Cloud Valley, every instructor who taught them cultivation techniques was to be addressed this way.

"My name is Zhang Yu. I will teach you the mysteries of the Spirit Energy Shield."

As its name implied, the Spirit Energy Shield was formed by spreading spirit power over the surface of the body to create a protective barrier. It was one of the most basic defensive Spells for cultivators.

The disciples immediately became excited, whispering among themselves.

Aside from Lin Xuan, who was an ordinary person, most disciples with Spirit Roots had cultivated their techniques to the third or fourth layer after three years. Having entered the middle phase of the Spirit Movement Stage, they were now able to learn a few simple minor Spells.

"What are you making such a racket for? Quiet!" Zhang Yu's face darkened at the disorder below.

Seeing their instructor angered, the disciples promptly shut their mouths.

Next, Zhang Yu began explaining in detail how to circulate spirit power and what particulars required attention. Lin Xuan listened very carefully. In truth, his current cultivation was still insufficient to wield the Spirit Energy Shield, but he could first remember the method clearly and cultivate it slowly once his power had reached the required level.

"Enough. Practice on your own." After explaining it once, Zhang Yu left Young Eagle Pavilion. Whether they could master it next would depend on each disciple's comprehension.

Lin Xuan left as well. He first returned to his residence, a crude little wooden hut. High-level cultivators all had their own Cultivation Caves, but low-level disciples like him lived in very simple conditions.

There was only a table, a chair, and a wooden bed in the room. Lin Xuan opened the table drawer, took out paper and a brush, and recorded the cultivation method for the Spirit Energy Shield that he had heard today.

This was also a habit he had developed over the past three years. Because he had no Spirit Root and could not cultivate as quickly as his fellow disciples, every time an instructor taught a cultivation technique, Lin Xuan would write down what he had heard. Many things could not be cultivated yet and would be left for him to study later. Once written on paper, they would not be forgotten.

After finishing the transcription, Lin Xuan carefully put away the notebook filled with cultivation techniques. Then he went once more to the Heart Refining Path behind the mountain, following the passage downward until he reached the place where he had cultivated two days ago.

The spiritual energy grew increasingly abundant. Lin Xuan stopped. This was the place; he could not go any farther. The deeper one went into the Heart Refining Path, the more terrifying the illusions became.

In an instant, the scene changed. Before him appeared a boundless expanse of white, a thousand miles sealed in ice, ten thousand miles swept by drifting snow, while the cold wind howled in fury.

Before long, snow had buried his ankles. In the blink of an eye, his entire body felt frozen stiff. Lin Xuan's heart tightened. Could the illusions change at random? Last time, he had endured the agony of raging flames scorching his body. This time, it had become endless bitter cold.

After a moment of silence, Lin Xuan sat cross-legged in the snow with an expressionless face and began absorbing the surrounding spiritual energy.

He was soon frozen stiff, even his hair congealing into icicles, yet he remained motionless in the snow. Only after holding on for more than twenty minutes did he run out of the illusion to rest for a while and move his body. The moment he recovered somewhat, he immediately threw himself back into cultivation.

The cold wind roared, and the snowflakes condensed into countless sharp ice blades that flew toward Lin Xuan. Yet the youth still meditated upon the ground like an unshakable boulder.

Two days later, Lin Xuan rose to his feet expressionlessly. After hesitating for a moment, he continued deeper into the Heart Refining Path. The purity of the spiritual energy here was still insufficient. To break through the bottleneck, he needed even purer spiritual energy. With unwavering resolve, he walked toward an even more terrifying illusion...