Bonus Stage, Activate!

Early the next morning, when the three youngsters arrived at the neighboring courtyard to find Yi Yi and the others, they received a rather unexpected piece of news.

"Given your good performance yesterday, today we are going to take you to see a rare sight!"

The so-called rare sight was not far from their usual starting point. After traveling through the mist for about ten minutes, the fog ahead thinned, revealing a lake as clear as a mirror. The lakeshore was fragrant with wildflowers and shaded by lush, beautiful trees—truly a perfect spot for lovers to meet, or for watching lovers meet...

As the group saw this beautiful scenery within Moli, they instinctively grew vigilant and tightly shut their eyes.

Yi Yi laughed. "Very good. After yesterday's experience, your first reactions are all correct. In this Moli Immortal Mansion, while the concept of the [stranger] is indeed fatal, things that appear familiar and beautiful are often even more lethal."

"Unless you see something absolutely trustworthy, such as the Blazing Feather Flag, the deformed and bizarre things in this Moli Immortal Mansion are actually safer by comparison."

As he spoke, Yi Yi walked to the lakeshore first, sat down cross-legged, and beckoned to the others.

"But this scenery is harmless. Come over; the spiritual energy here is exceptionally dense, perfectly suited for you little ones to practice your breathing exercises."

With that, Yi Yi touched his throat, returning the floor to Han Gang and He Lu.

Han Gang nodded at Wu Ming and said, "Go ahead. We will stand guard here."

Wu Ming did not hesitate. He went straight to the lakeshore and sat down. His Inner Landscape Mysterious Spirit flowed according to his will, as if he had opened another pair of eyes capable of perceiving the flow of spiritual energy between heaven and earth.

His Spirit Root quality was only seventh-grade Wood-element, so his natural efficiency in breathing exercises was not high. Even with the aid of the Taiyi Dharma Sword, it was barely equivalent to that of an average person with a fourth or fifth-grade root. However, the moment he entered meditation by the lake, he felt the surrounding spiritual energy rushing toward him as if it were flowing backward, surging joyfully into every aperture of his body.

In the blink of an eye, his Fengchun mana was full and flowing, burgeoning with vitality, advancing toward the fourth stage with extreme efficiency... It was even more efficient than refining pills with the Spirit-Melting Qi-Transformation Art!

Wu Ming was shocked. This is a phenomenon only found in top-tier blessed lands!

The stories his master told back then were truly the real deal!

When they practiced daily at the Gujian Sect, the master and his disciples often suffered from a lack of spiritual energy. Wu Ming had once suggested that during practice, they should imagine something beautiful, using the power of their imagination to compensate for reality.

It was similar to someone suffering from withdrawal, chewing on a twig while staring at a red thread on the rafters, imagining themselves smoking.

Or like someone who, when hugged by their junior sister, would always stare fixedly at certain non-existent parts... though he didn't say that part out loud.

Back then, Gu Bai had described the concept of a [blessed land] to his disciples. Legend had it that as long as one was in a top-tier blessed land, even without actively practicing, one would naturally merge with the spiritual energy of heaven and earth. Every breath, every movement, and every moment of rest would be a form of practice, with mana increasing almost every second!

When the old man told these stories, his expression was as if he had once personally experienced such beauty long ago. However, at the time, no one except Zheng Lingxi took the stories seriously.

After all, if something is too good to be true, it tends to feel fake. Besides, just thinking about how the Dao Seeds of the Sanqing Immortal Sect could live in luxury in blessed lands while the poor wretches of Yan Mountain scoured the world for a scrap of spiritual energy...

It was better to believe it didn't exist!

However, it seemed now that his master hadn't lied. After all, even within the Moli Immortal Mansion, there existed such an incredible blessed land!

Before long, Wu Ming felt his dantian swell slightly; he had reached the limit of his mana growth. Constrained by his Spirit Root aptitude, this limit was not particularly outstanding, and it was far from the gains he had made refining the echoes yesterday.

But Wu Ming's mind shifted. Taking advantage of the fullness of his mana and the density of the spiritual energy around him, he decided to multitask, splitting his energy into the five elements to study multiple Qi-refining techniques simultaneously!

Although his cultivation at the early Qi Refining Stage meant the techniques he could employ were little more than parlor tricks—hardly effective, let alone lethal...

Wu Ming's attitude toward improving his proficiency had always been: if the resources are there to be taken, take them all. He would scour every corner of the map, opening every last mosquito-leg-sized chest until not a single one remained!

Furthermore, in the process of studying techniques, one's perception and control of mana and spiritual energy would be honed. He might learn hundreds of spells, the vast majority of which he might never have the chance to use in his entire life, but the process of cultivation itself would remain as a permanent foundation.

This was a teaching his master, Gu Bai, had once recorded in the Fire Inheritance Book Ash.

Although Wu Ming's Spirit Root aptitude was merely average, his talent for spells was truly remarkable. A moment later, vegetation sprouted beneath him, the lake water before him rippled, and a warm breeze blew beside him... he was actually operating three spells of different attributes simultaneously!

While this superior blessed land could not help his mana expand rapidly, it allowed his control over spells to reach a new level!

He did not know how much time had passed. Just as Wu Ming was becoming increasingly immersed in the profound mystery of mastering a hundred techniques, the voice of Han Gang suddenly rang in his ears.

"Wake up!"

Hearing this, Wu Ming immediately gathered his focus, and the abundant, flowing spring-breeze mana ceased at his will. The smoothness of the transition between movement and stillness made Han Gang let out a soft cry of approval.

With his experience coming from a first-grade immortal sect, it was not uncommon to see Dao Seeds of immortal sects capable of such transitions.

However, not a single one of them, relying solely on a seventh-grade Spirit Root and having cultivated for a mere few months, could reach this point.

As for the practice of multitasking and dividing his energy into the five elements just now, it had truly opened his eyes!

"So, cherish the opportunity that follows... prepare to act!"

As he spoke, numerous black shadows gathered in the mist outside the lake, though no one knew when they had arrived!

One, two, three... a single glance revealed nearly a dozen!

At this moment, Yi Yi, He Lu, and the two masked individuals in black had already taken their positions. The five of them jointly supported a Five Extremes Mysterious Steel Array, shielding Wu Ming and the other two within it.

The next moment, a black shadow stumbled out of the mist. Although its posture was unsteady, several black flames surrounded its body, revealing the cultivation of a peak Qi Refining Stage practitioner before its death. However...

Bang!

With a muffled thud, the Li Yao at the peak of the Qi Refining Stage was sent flying into the air by a blast of steel energy spat out by He Lu in a single exchange. Its protective black flames were shattered by the energy, causing its entire body to tremble incessantly.

What previously required three people working together to achieve was now done with a flick of her wrist!

Then, the Taiyi Golden Glow shone in the sky. The Taiyi Dharma Sword, which far exceeded the standards of the Qi Refining Stage, carved out an unparalleled sword aura. It easily bridged the gap in cultivation ranks and decapitated the Li Yao in mid-air!

Once Wu Ming had struck with his sword, he did not get greedy. He handed the Dharma Sword to Zhang Miao, who was standing to the side.

"Sword Head, please take care of this friend."

Hum! A faint sword hum resonated, as if someone were gently patting their chest.

"Thank you!" Zhang Miao did not stand on ceremony. After nodding to thank both Wu Ming and the Sword Head, she briefly adapted to the characteristics of the Dharma Sword, then silently recited an orthodox sword-controlling incantation, driving the Taiyi Dharma Sword to ignite the golden glow once more!

As a standard scion of a noble family and a registered disciple of Luohuang Mountain, Zhang Miao possessed quite solid fundamentals, particularly in the art of controlling objects. With this single strike, she sent her dharma sword flying from her hand, perfectly piercing the skull of a Li Yao that had been shattered by the gang qi.

The momentum did not stop there. The sword circled in mid-air and, on its return path, pierced through the chest of another Li Yao.

By the time it returned to Zhang Miao's hand, the dharma sword let out a satisfied hum, as if it were quite pleased with this temporary wielder.

However, Zhang Miao did not get greedy—in truth, she lacked the strength to do so. After slaying two Li Yao in succession, the lingering echoes filling her mind left her with a splitting headache and a sense of dizziness.

Thus, the dharma sword was passed to Liu Sanlang.

As the nominal leader of this group—after all, the Immortal Guiding Envoy had been hired by the Liu Family—Liu Sanlang's sword-controlling ability was the most plain and unadorned.

He neither unleashed sword qi nor performed long-range strikes. He simply waited patiently for Yi Yi to draw a Li Yao close with the Five Extremes Mysterious Steel Array and completely shatter its protective true qi before stepping forward in a lunge to deliver a fatal strike to the throat.

Repeating this process, in just a short while, more than a dozen Li Yao were successfully finished off. Yet, within the thick fog, black shadows continued to surge, gathering in ever-increasing numbers! Furthermore, deep within the mist, several exceptionally hulking shadows brought with them a distinct sense of oppression.

Although the Five Extremes Mysterious Steel Array was sturdy, and those forming it were elites of the immortal sects at the peak of Qi Refining, it was clearly impossible to maintain it indefinitely against such an onslaught.

Moreover, after Liu Sanlang and Zhang Miao had landed several finishing blows, the accumulated echoes reached their limit. The cacophony in their minds left them unable to continue.

"Alright, let's go!"

Yi Yi made a prompt decision. He flipped his palms upward as if turning clouds, directly shifting the Five Extremes Mysterious Steel Array formed by the five of them into the Five Qi God-Walking Array.

Following this, a gale roared, churning the lake water into waves and scattering the mist outside. When the wind died down and the waves settled, the eight people by the lake were nowhere to be seen, leaving only the Li Yao to let out howls of frustrated greed.

The group traveled at high speed, returning directly to the starting point marked by the Blazing Feather Flag. They did not stop there, crossing the boundary between the inside and outside of the Immortal Mansion and returning to the familiar, soft mounds of earth.

Looking at the bustling gray town before them, the young people felt a sense of having been away for a lifetime.

This rare sight... was truly rare enough to be soul-stirring and heart-pounding!

Thanks to book friends 20220501084336769, 20250604115420731, Ni Shizi, Wuyue, Xiwen, and Ting Sishisi A for their tips!