Refining the Heart Through Real Combat, Neglecting Caution Leaves One's Life Hanging by a Thread

A hundred-foot- cave abode leans against the verdant hills, as early spring fades and swallows fly away.

In the blink of an eye, more than a month has passed.

Outside Chen Dengming's cave abode, a gentle breeze blows, the green trees are shrouded in mist, and many white and purple lilacs bloom on the hillside, creating a breathtaking scene of spring.

The Black Cloud Leopard was fast asleep, drooling and snoring. Its two huge fleshy wings were folded up on its back like a saddle. Its aura of spiritual power and fierceness was Sha Qi. If one ignored its somewhat overweight physique, it was extremely fierce.

In the past six months, not only has Chen Dengming's strength improved, but the Black Cloud Leopard, as a High-grade Spiritual Root- tier Demon Beast, is equivalent to a high-grade spiritual root among cultivators. In the past six months, it has eaten so many good things and has also benefited from having a good master who provides it with a free Second-Rank Spirit Vein. Its strength has naturally improved as well, and it has broken through from the Qi Cultivation Ninth Level to the Qi Cultivation Tenth Level.

However, Chen Dengming always suspected that although Hei Zi's strength had improved, his combat power might still be stagnant.

After all, I've been living too comfortably for the past six months, and my figure has gone out of shape and I've gained weight. It's good enough that my fighting power hasn't declined.

Suddenly, a flash of inspiration appeared, and the object flew to the front of Chen Dengming's cave abode, turned, and landed, revealing the figure of a Daoist priest.

"Waaah--"

The Black Cloud Leopard pricked up its ears and then opened its eyes to take a look.

The Daoist priest smiled kindly and asked, "Hei Zi, is your master here?"

Black Cloud Leopard rolled its eyes like a black devil, thinking to itself, "That's obvious. I've been lying in wait right here at the door. How could my master not be home?"

It was about to lazily get up and bark a few times.

Chen Dengming's voice came from inside the cave abode.

"Is this Senior Brother Zhou? Please come in quickly."

The Daoist priest at the door smiled and said loudly, "No need, Junior Brother Chen, you should have already received the news, right?"

The Longevity Sect's spirit boat is already on its way. We should bid farewell to Senior Brother Guan and the others and hurry on our way, lest we keep the Longevity Sect's fellow Daoists waiting for us."

"Good!"

As soon as the word "good" was uttered, Chen Dengming, dressed in the Foundation Establishment robe of the Evergreen Sect, flew out.

He smiled and bowed respectfully to the round-faced, kind-hearted Daoist priest opposite him.

"Junior Brother, I have been in seclusion cultivating. It was only today, when I checked my Storage Bag, that I learned of the message Senior Brother Liang sent yesterday. Senior Brother Zhou, please don't take offense."

"It's alright! I understand! Junior Brother, you are truly a diligent person, I admire you greatly."

"No, no, not at all."

After exchanging a few polite words, Chen Dengming summoned the Black Cloud Leopard and then went with Senior Brother Zhou Yunji to visit Guan Le and Wang Feixuan, who had returned to the sect the day before.

To avoid upsetting anyone, he did not ride the Black Cloud Leopard, but instead had the leopard follow behind, while he flew alongside Zhou Yunji, exchanging information and traveling together.

This seemingly insignificant little gesture made Zhou Yunji feel respected and gained some goodwill, leading him to reveal the information he knew.

"Yesterday I was still in Chang'an Workshop when I received a message from Senior Brother Liang informing me that I was going to the front-line War Zone, so I immediately rushed back."

Because it was so late at night, and Senior Brother and Senior Brother Wang had returned injured and even went to the Heart Refining Cave to record information about the powerful Devil Cultivator they encountered, they were probably exhausted. In addition, you, Junior Brother, were in seclusion, so I did not visit you alone, but invited you to visit Junior Brother together today."

"Senior Brother Zhou is indeed very thoughtful. But what about the Heart Refining Cave?"

"Of course, Junior Brother Chen, you don't need to be so polite."

Besides serving as a training ground for disciples during their assessments, the Heart Refining Cave also has other uses.

When cultivators of our sect encounter powerful enemies outside, they can record the enemy's information upon returning to the sect for us to simulate combat. This serves as an opportunity to accumulate experience in fighting against various masters. Junior Brother, you should definitely try it out later.

"Since we're going to the Battlefield together this time, we should look out for each other. You've already broken through to the Foundation Establishment Middle Stage, and your Law Power has increased significantly, which is a good thing."

Zhou Yunji smiled, behaving very kindly.

The reason he waited for Chen Dengming was precisely to win over this Junior Brother was rumored to have exceptional combat skills.

The opponent was able to repel the Blood Ghost Daoist when he was in the Foundation Establishment Early Stage. It is said that Li Yue also died at his hands. Now that he has broken through to the Foundation Establishment Middle Stage, his combat power must be even greater.

Compared to Wang Feixuan bringing Guan Le, who Foundation Establishment Early Stage, to the front lines, it felt much better for him to bring Chen Dengming along.

Chen Dengming, on the other hand, was quite calm. He had long been mentally prepared to be selected to go to the front-line War Zone.

In fact, he should have been among the previous batch, but thanks to He Yingyu and Liang Yunsheng's care, he was delayed until this second batch. This allowed him to avoid the most intense moment of the winter Battlefield, and he also had more time to cultivate in peace, breaking through in the Strength Realm. With sufficient preparation, what more could he ask for?

The two quickly arrived outside the sect's Heart Refining Cave.

Wang Feixuan and Guan Le had also been invited and arrived at the cave abode ahead of time to wait.

Regardless of any minor conflicts they might have had, now that their fellow disciples were going to the front War Zone, Wang Feixuan, having already been there before, was willing to Guan Le to share his experiences and the enemy's situation to prevent his fellow disciples from encountering danger.

When the four of them meet, a brief exchange of polite greetings is inevitable.

Wang Feixuan even apologized to Chen Dengming for his previous overly harsh words.

Chen Dengming naturally wouldn't hold it against him, and quickly said politely that he wouldn't take it to heart.

He was startled to see that Guan Le's face was pale, his eyes were dull and not very bright, and there were even bloodshot eyes and puffy eye bags, making him look listless.

Guan Le shook his head and sighed, "Junior Brother Chen, Senior Brother Zhou, there are currently three Devil Cultivator forces fighting against us in the War Zone: the Blood Fiend Sect, the Soul Devouring Sect, and the demons of the Demon Kingdom. The most troublesome is the Soul Devouring Sect. I fell into their trap and almost had my soul taken away by that Soul Guiding Banner."

As he finished speaking, a hint of lingering fear appeared on his face.

"Good!"

Wang Feixuan added solemnly, "That banner can not only capture a person's soul, but it can also summon the spirits and yin souls that were previously absorbed into the banner to launch an attack, making it impossible to defend against."

It should be understood that without practicing the same Dharma Gate of cultivating the spirit, we are like having brute force but no skill.

The enemy is not only stronger but also more skillful; how can we defend against them? It's difficult!

"Many fellow cultivators have already died at the hands of these Soul Devouring Sect cultivators within the War Zone."

Upon hearing this, Chen Dengming's heart stirred; he had practiced the Refining Spirit Dharma Gate.

It seems that this Soul Devouring Sect cultivator poses at least a smaller threat to him.

He had previously asked the Little Array Spirit whether the Soul Devouring Sect had any connection with the Yin Ghost Sect.

The Little Array Spirit could not answer.

However, the two sects share the same cultivation path, both following the Ghost Path of Spirit Refinement. After cultivating the <Hundred Ghosts Banquet Travel> scroll and the <Hundred Ghosts Yin Record Spirit Refining Method>, his spirit soul became even more refined and powerful.

He is also skilled in using his Divine Sense to attack, defend, and trap enemies. In addition, his Divine Sense has been baptized by the pure yang lightning power of heaven and earth and has been tainted with lightning energy. If he were to encounter a cultivator from the Soul Devouring Sect, he should be able to resist.

At this point, Wang Feixuan and Guan Le began to discuss the fighting styles of the other two Devil Cultivator forces on the Battlefield, the current situation on the Battlefield, and matters that needed attention.

To prevent any omissions, Chen Dengming activated the Sound-Image Pearl to record the information, believing that a bad pen is better than a good memory.

After the two finished speaking, Guan Le said weakly, "Alright, we've covered everything we needed to say. You two should hurry and go to the Heart Refining Cave to experience it for yourselves. We've already recorded the specific combat states of the enemies we encountered into the Refining Heart Array. Whether you can handle them or not, it'll be good to have some experience beforehand."

"Good!"

"Thank you both, senior Senior Brother!"

Chen Dengming and Zhou Yunji both thanked him and then entered the Heart Refining Cave, while the Black Cloud Leopard was left outside.

Wang Feixuan and Guan Le exchanged a glance and said, "You've witnessed Junior Brother Chen's strength. Now he's broken through to the Foundation Establishment Middle Stage. Do you think he can escape if he faces Soul Devouring Sect Devil Cultivator of the same realm?"

The Black Cloud Leopard pricked up its ears, listened to the sound, snorted with a sneer, and turned its head away.

Guan Le chuckled, "You underestimate Junior Brother Chen too much. He defeated Blood Ghost Daoist when he was in the Foundation Establishment Early Stage."

That Blood Ghost Daoist was a prodigy who cultivated both the Soul Devouring and Blood Fiend paths, stronger than ordinary cultivators of the same realm in the Soul Devouring Sect. Moreover, Junior Brother Chen once joined forces with me to kill a Foundation Establishment Nightmare, and I probably only used about 30% of my strength."

Noticing Wang Feixuan's suspicious gaze, Guan Le added cautiously, "However, Junior Brother Chen has only just broken through to the Foundation Establishment Middle Stage. If he faces a Foundation Establishment Middle Stage cultivator from the Soul Devouring Sect, he might be able to protect himself, but defeating him would be very difficult."

"Self-preservation is not a problem?" Wang Feixuan muttered, expressing doubt about the answer. However, he also knew that Guan Le and Chen Dengming had a good relationship in private, so it was normal for him to boast a little.

Inside the Heart Refining Cave.

As the sect's reimbursed spirit crystals were embedded, the Formation Flag fluttered, and the surrounding environment quickly darkened.

Chen Dengming felt a sudden chill all around him, the cold air was biting, and his face and nose, which were exposed outside his collar, were a little sore.

"Is the environment in the Formation War Zone that cold? And at night?"

With doubts in his mind, Chen Dengming became extremely vigilant.

Even though it's a simulated battle, the number of times you can experience it is limited. He still intends to go all out and find out the enemy's details, which is better than risking his life in a real-life battle.

At this moment, a sense of alarm rose in Chen Dengming's heart, and he saw dark shadows gradually appearing in the dim environment in the distance.

Immediately afterwards, a series of sounds, like howling winds and surging waves, came from all directions, breathtaking and awe-inspiring.

In the next instant, the vast black mass resembled hundreds of unbridled black horses, some charging forward with their heads bowed, some neighing with their heads raised, and some glaring angrily as they charged fiercely toward Chen Dengming.

Upon closer inspection, they were not dark horses at all, but rather a group of lonely, grotesque ghosts.

"They are the lowest level of vengeful spirits. Don't let them possess you and enter your mind," the Little Array Spirit warned from Soul House.

Chen Dengming immediately raised the Divine Transformation Blade high, facing the blade directly at his eyes. His eyes flashed with lightning, and the strong muscles in his arms displayed immense power. The moment the blade suddenly met his gaze, a powerful Blade Intent accompanied by his Divine Sense burst forth!

In an instant, it was as if a giant silver snake had sprung out of the darkness, sweeping out in a ring.

The collision with the horde of charging vengeful spirits around it produced a series of low, long booms, like a barrage of cannon fire.

"Ah--"

"Hum--"

One after another, the vengeful spirits vanished in an instant, their screams, cries, and release echoing like dark clouds torn apart by lightning, rapidly swirling and gradually fading away.

"Huh?"

A soft exclamation came from the dim light.

The temperature suddenly dropped, and the dark environment seemed to suddenly become cold and indifferent.

Chen Dengming felt a strong chill run through his body, his blood almost freezing, rendering him unable to move, as if an extremely evil force was enveloping his body.

However, his spirit remained unhindered. In an instant, the Heart-Illuminating Mirror of Shattering Delusions, sending out a beam of Cyan Light that shone directly onto his body, causing wisps of azure smoke to rise from it.

The Red Hair that had appeared on the body without warning spontaneously combusted and disappeared in an instant.

A muffled groan came from the darkness.

The Heart-Illuminating Mirror of Shattering Delusions Instantly shone upon Chen Dengming's will, its light like a bluish-white lightning bolt carrying a thunderous roar, tearing through the darkness and illuminating the surrounding environment.

A dark shadow almost grazed past the mirror's light, letting out a sharp scream, and pounced on Chen Dengming in the blink of an eye.

Just as Chen Dengming was about to retaliate, the dark figure suddenly laughed strangely and split in two, moving rapidly in the extremely narrow space. In an instant, it was right in front of him, about to slip inside.

"Roll!!"

With a furious roar, Chen Dengming's eyes flashed with fierce power, and the Divine Transformation Blade instantly transformed into thousands of swirling blade lights, like hundreds of strange snakes twisting and turning, encircling his body.

The two dark figures paused only briefly before swiftly passing through the blade's light, only to be instantly devoured by a powerful surge of lightning-infused Divine Sense.

It looked as if a dark cloud had suddenly appeared under the cover of the blade's gleam, like an invisible maw that swallowed the two dark figures whole.

The Hundred Ghosts' Yin Records: Spirit Refining Art - Membrane Art!

Another scream came from the darkness not far away. Chen Dengming let out a long howl, and his body moved with his sword. In an instant, man and sword became one, transforming into a blade of light with unparalleled speed. He flashed past and killed the figure in the darkness opposite.

But then they saw a sinister figure holding a large banner. Seeing Chen Dengming coming, he was about to shake the banner, stirring up a chilling aura, and regroup for another attack.

Chen Dengming, however, merged his Divine Sense with the sword light, combining the extremely powerful and yang lightning force within his Divine Sense with the Spirit Refining Art, and thrust the sword straight in!

The knife moves with the wind, swift as a feather, and is withdrawn with a single touch, leaving no trace of blood.

The stabbing technique is swift as lightning; it kills without needing to take ten steps.

"Clang!"

The moment the long sword pierced the soul banner, the banner shattered instantly, and countless vengeful spirits screamed out, swirling like a swarm of black bats.

The cultivator opposite him felt as if he had been struck by lightning in the chest, and suddenly retreated five steps, spitting out a mouthful of blood as he tried to flee.

Unexpectedly, the longsword in Chen Dengming's hand suddenly extended and became longer, exceeding eight zhang in length. With a flash of bright light, it instantly pierced through the cultivator's forehead.

The surrounding darkness quickly faded away.

"That's it? He must be a mid-Foundation Soul Devouring Sect Foundation Establishment Middle Stage. He was indeed quite troublesome. But thankfully, it's mainly because I'm not very familiar with this kind of soul banner Law Artifact."

Chen Dengming frowned as he observed the changing surroundings and put away his Law Artifact.

The next moment, he saw Zhou Yunji, who was squatting on the ground panting with a pale face, and he was stunned. He immediately walked over.

"Senior Brother Zhou? Are you alright? Did you encounter Soul Devouring Sect cultivator in the Foundation Establishment Late Stage?"

Zhou Yunji was taken aback, then turned back to look at Chen Dengming, who seemed completely unaffected. He forced a smile and said, "Junior Brother Chen, you're joking. How could we possibly encounter Foundation Establishment Late Stage cultivator? This is information about the enemy recorded by Junior Brother and Senior Brother Wang. If they had encountered Foundation Establishment Late Stage, would they have been able to return?"

I just encountered a powerful enemy at the Foundation Establishment Middle Stage, wow, that's really impressive!

I survived the first wave of attacks, when suddenly I saw a dark shadow rushing towards me. I immediately dodged, making a hasty move to avoid danger, but the shadow actually split in two. How insidious!

Chen Dengming's expression was strange.

Wasn't this what he just encountered?

It turns out that the two of them were simultaneously simulating the same opponent.

However, this week, Senior Brother actually didn't even survive the second round of attacks.

"Huh? Junior Brother, you passed the level so easily? You seem completely unharmed. Did you encounter an enemy in the Foundation Establishment Early Stage? Was it from the Soul Devouring Sect or the Blood Fiend Sect?"

Chen Dengming was too embarrassed to tell the truth and hurt his Senior Brother Zhou's feelings, so he smiled and said, "Yes, we encountered a Blood Fiend Sect cultivator in the Foundation Establishment Early Stage."

"That won't do, Junior Brother Chen. We can handle cultivators in the Foundation Establishment Early Stage, but you still need to experience it more. You need to go and try out that powerful enemy I encountered, and accumulate more experience."

"This"

"Hurry up, hurry up, do it again. Don't complain about the trouble now. If we really run into War Zone, it could save your life."

Chen Dengming sighed helplessly, realizing that Zhou Yunji was right.

Now that we're using public funds and spirit crystals to activate the Formation, let's try it one more time; there's no harm in that.

As a result, this second time, he actually encountered that powerful enemy who Foundation Establishment Middle Stage again.

There was no other way but to torture the opponent again. In fact, this time, in order to force out more of the cultivator's tricks and life-saving trump cards, he deliberately slowed down his offensive and was not in a hurry to kill the opponent.

However, in the end, it was discovered that the enemy only used a few different offensive tactics. Even when he was running away and was clearly about to collapse, they would still forcefully attack him, just like a stupid NPC in a game.

Chen Dengming realized that this might be the drawback of the Mind Refining Array simulating a person.

It is probably based on the information provided by Guan Le and others' memories as the simulated subject, and will be endowed with a certain degree of intelligence, such as knowing how to escape and dodge.

However, the attacks were mainly based on the information from the two people's memories, which made them seem rather rigid.

"It seems that when we actually encounter these Soul Devouring Sect cultivators, they might be even stronger. It's hard to guarantee that they don't have some hidden trump cards that Senior Brother others haven't seen."

Chen Dengming remained calm and composed, keeping a close eye on things. He also felt that this second attempt had not been in vain, as he had managed to clarify some more details.

After experiencing the Heart Refining Cave, the two bid farewell to Guan Le and Wang Feixuan and arrived at the Mountain Gate.

The Longevity Sect's spirit boat has already appeared outside the Mountain Gate.

On the spirit boat, several Foundation Establishment cultivators from the Longevity Sect stood there, each with graceful bearing and handsome features, each a dragon among men.

Chen Dengming and Zhou Yunji leaped onto the spirit boat, smiling as they exchanged polite greetings with the group of Foundation Establishment cultivators from the Longevity Sect.

Almost all of these people were familiar with Zhou Yunji. After all, Changchun and Changshou were one family. Even though the cultivators of the Longevity Sect had a more prestigious status, they wouldn't show it too obviously once they reached the Foundation Establishment level.

The situation in novels where upper-level cultivators look down on lower-level cultivators is unlikely to happen in reality, or even if it does, people won't show it on the surface.

This social interaction was naturally very pleasant, and Chen Dengming, the newly Foundation Establishment cultivator, was not neglected. On the contrary, he was praised by several Foundation Establishment cultivators from the Longevity Sect.

"I've long heard that Junior Brother Chen's combat prowess is unparalleled, with few rivals among his peers. Now that Junior Brother Chen has broken through to the Foundation Establishment Middle Stage, I'm sure you'll dominate the battlefield this time we go to the War Zone!"

"Indeed, I also have high hopes for Junior Brother Chen. No, I should Senior Brother Chen. Now that we're at the same cultivation level, I might not even be your match. I should address him as Senior Brother."

Faced with such flattery, Chen Dengming could only resort to his best social skills, speaking politely and modestly, "Senior Brother, you are all too kind. It is really too much for me. I have just broken through to the Foundation Establishment, and my realm is not yet stable. I still have a lot to learn from Senior Brother all. I cannot make any boastful statements."

And this Senior Brother, just call me Little Chen or Junior Brother Chen, I absolutely cannot accept the title of Senior Brother."

"Junior Brother Chen, you're being too modest!"

"It's true, being modest is fine, but when you're this humble, it becomes hypocrisy!"

The four Foundation Establishment cultivators from the Longevity Sect chuckled and joked, quite satisfied with Chen Dengming's humble and unassuming attitude. They were impressed that he hadn't become arrogant after being flattered.

Such a person is truly humble and should not be underestimated.

In the midst of their exchange, the spirit boat had already soared through the air for over a hundred miles, rising into the clouds, and then continued to accelerate, heading straight for the border Turtle Snake Bee.

The journey there was filled with laughter and cheerful conversation, but who knows how many will still be able to chat and laugh on the return trip?

(Thank you everyone for the monthly votes! Let's keep pushing and stay in the top 100! There will be an extra chapter tonight! More than 10,000 words today!)