Cultivation tempered the heart as well

With a rumble, another volcanic crater appeared beside Lin Fan, its magma churning amid brilliant colors and dancing auspicious clouds.

It manifested in the void, so real that it defied belief!

The crater trembled slightly, and endless vital essence immediately surged toward it, boiling within its rocky mouth. A rain of light scattered outward, nourishing him.

At that moment, Lin Fan underwent another transformation. Each additional Heavenly Passage brought a tremendous increase in strength, making his body radiant, crystalline, and flawless, as though he had attained the Dao and become an immortal, holy and untouched by the mortal world.

"Another one!" Lin Fan rejoiced. This was the fruit of his deep accumulation bursting forth: he had laid a solid foundation in the Blood Moving Realm, giving him tremendous reserves to draw upon.

For an ordinary cultivator entering this realm, opening even one Heavenly Passage was a blessing from heaven, let alone opening two in succession.

Yet Lin Fan still felt he could break through again. His reserves remained strong, with no sign of exhaustion. His blood and vital energy surged like rolling thunder, and he could still unleash divine radiance to refine the creative power of heaven and earth.

Boom!

Suddenly, runes filled the sky, and his blood and vital energy soared into the heavens, shaking the cosmos like mighty waves pounding the shore. Boundless order took shape here, while ten thousand rays of rosy light blazed brilliantly.

A third Heavenly Passage formed, suspended on Lin Fan's other side. It spewed auspicious clouds, its vital essence rolling forth like countless crystalline petals dancing in a dazzling display of light and color.

Together with the other two Heavenly Passages, it shone in mutual splendor. They continuously drew vital essence from the void to replenish him, bringing both his spirit and body to fullness.

Marvelous phenomena swirled around him. The Purple Bamboo Forest seemed to come alive, rustling in response. Lotuses bloomed in the lake, and silver dragon carp leaped from the water from time to time, as though celebrating for him.

"It feels like I can still break through," Lin Fan murmured, joy written across his face.

He remembered that when Milk Baby had broken through to the Cave Heaven Realm, he had only opened three at once, right?

If he opened another Heavenly Passage, wouldn't that make him stronger than Milk Baby?

Of course, the comparison did not carry much weight. One had grown up in a small tribe in the Great Wilderness, lacking resources, while Lin Fan had never lacked sacred medicines or the flesh and blood of pure-blooded vicious beasts since entering the Heaven Mending Sect. Naturally, his potential was greater.

But just as he prepared to break through again, a cool yet melodious voice reached him, warning, "Don't break through too quickly. Carefully comprehend your current realm and familiarize yourself with your strength, lest your foundation become unstable and leave hidden problems."

Lin Fan froze at her words, then replied, "I understand, pretty big sister."

Once his words fell, peace returned to the surroundings, as though that voice had never sounded.

Yet Lin Fan broke into a cold sweat. He had nearly lost himself in power and blind comparison, forgetting that cultivation allowed no great leaps. He had to advance one footprint at a time, steadily and surely. Only by building a firm foundation could he travel far.

Had Qing Yao not reminded him just now, he would have committed a grave taboo of cultivation.

"Sure enough, cultivation tempers the heart as well. Confidence is good, but blind confidence is not. On the path of cultivation, I must remain clearheaded and constantly reflect on myself. Only then can I walk steadily and reach far."

Fortunately, opening three Heavenly Passages in a single breakthrough and advancing to the middle stage of the Cave Heaven Realm already left him deeply satisfied. He had surpassed the vast majority of people.

Once word of this spread, it would be enough to cause a tremendous stir and shock many of his peers.

At six or seven years old, others were still groping their way through the Blood Moving Realm, yet he had already advanced to the next realm and broken through repeatedly. It would probably leave countless jaws on the floor.

Even Qing Yao, sitting quietly inside the bamboo house, could not help being dumbstruck. Had she not stopped him, Lin Fan could have opened four Heavenly Passages at once.

Word of such heaven-gifted talent would surely sound like an incredible tale. Probably few people would believe it!

But when she thought of Lin Fan's identity, it no longer seemed surprising.

The Cave Heaven Realm brought a wondrous sensation. Not only did Lin Fan's body feel light and nimble, but even the slightest movement unleashed explosive power several times greater than before, making him feel as though he were invincible.

But that was merely an illusion brought on by the sudden surge in strength. He was still a minor cultivator and could not allow himself to grow conceited.

Lin Fan then sat cross-legged, carefully comprehending and stabilizing his realm.

Three Heavenly Passages revolved around him, constantly drawing vital essence from the outside world and channeling it into his body, filling him with vibrant life and keeping him at his peak.

In an instant, a rain of light filled the area, engulfing Lin Fan as he immersed himself within it. Radiance rose in a shimmering haze, making the scene look profoundly mysterious.

Why not nurture some runes in my Heavenly Passages first, to prepare for Spirit Transformation? he thought.

This was one of the methods available in the Cave Heaven Realm. He could nurture powerful runes, greatly enhancing the might of his Precious Arts and making them easier to wield.

He immediately put the thought into action, beginning with his innate Supreme Technique. It was incomparably domineering, assimilating all offensive divine abilities and converting them into healing Divine Arts.

Even now, he had found no good solution to this problem. Removing his Supreme Bone seemed to be his only option, but he would never do so unless absolutely necessary.

Although this Supreme Bone had become a shackle, it was also nurturing his body. His ability to so easily surpass the limits of his realm was most likely closely tied to it.

Now, Lin Fan's chest shone with vibrant green light, as though immortal radiance flowed within it. Runes emerged one after another, engraving themselves into a Heavenly Passage.

Before he knew it, plants began growing near the rocks. Green shoots emerged from the soil, and stalk after stalk sprouted and rapidly grew.

Before long, flowers bloomed across the ground, and the plants reached Lin Fan's waist, filling the air with rich fragrance.

Bathed in this green radiance, large numbers of spirit fish in the lake gathered near the shore, seeking only to bask in that vigorous vitality.

Every living creature illuminated by the Supreme Technique seemed to grow a size larger. In particular, the dragon carp, one of the Eight Delicacies, shone with even brighter silver light from the scales on their bodies, like divine blades.

Qing Yao, who had been watching from inside the bamboo house, could not help feeling surprised. "An innate Supreme Technique related to life? It really is the opposite..."

Lin Fan engraved his Supreme Technique into his Heavenly Passage with remarkable ease. It took little effort; after all, this was his own innate Precious Art.

"Next is the Heaven Mending Art!"

Not long after arriving at the Heaven Mending Sect, he had learned this divine ability that served as the sect's cornerstone.

However, he had only glimpsed the threshold of this immortal art and still could not use it.

This was not because his comprehension was poor. Rather, his current realm was low, he had studied it for only a short time, and the Heaven Mending Art was profound and powerful. It was not something he could master overnight.

The Heaven Mending Sect's ability to stand proudly in the Three Thousand Provinces, and even the standing of the Heaven Mending lineage in the Nine Heavens, were inseparable from this immortal art.

In fact, from what Lin Fan knew, the Heaven Mending lineage of the Nine Heavens and Ten Earths also existed in the Immortal Domain, having been passed down by a True Immortal.

Its art touched upon time, allowing the user to undo events in battle and start over. For instance, even if Shi Yi's head was severed, he could reattach it and restore himself to his original state. It was utterly outrageous.

"Sure enough, time reigns supreme, and space is king. Even a True Immortal's time-based divine ability is this extraordinary. I wonder..."

Lin Fan thought of Immortal King Wuzhong from the Immortal Ancient era and Emperor Wu Shi from later ages. Both had traveled far along the path of time, and both were extraordinarily powerful.

That was also why they had been targeted for destruction. One had been beset by a group and beaten to death; the other had met much the same fate, prevented from attaining the rank of Immortal Emperor and dying while covering the retreat.

Only after a full half month did Lin Fan stop. Facing the rosy dawn, he breathed its radiance in and out and drew his three Heavenly Passages inward. He had thoroughly stabilized his current realm and engraved the runes of two powerful divine abilities into his Heavenly Passages.

As for the incomplete True Dragon and True Phoenix Precious Arts of the Ten Fiends held by the Heaven Mending Sect, he had yet to study them. It was not that Qing Yao refused to teach him, but that biting off too much would leave him unable to chew it all. He could wait until the Spirit Transformation Realm to learn them.

Besides, the Heaven Mending Sect possessed numerous other Precious Arts and divine abilities. Though they fell short of immortal arts and the Precious Arts of the Ten Fiends, they were the most suitable for Lin Fan to learn now and build his foundation. There would be plenty of time in the days ahead.