Han Xuanji picked up the teacup, took a small sip, closed his eyes slightly, and let his mind sink into another space.
"Claim your reward."
He whispered to himself.
In an instant, an invisible force surged from the void and silently entered his brow.
It is not an overwhelming influx of information, nor a forced fusion of memories, but a deeper awakening.
It was as if something in the deepest part of his soul had been gently touched and then slowly unfolded.
Han Xuanji's consciousness detached from her body in an instant and fell into an endless void.
He saw countless versions of himself.
There was a version of myself struggling to survive in the Chaos, a version of myself roaming freely in the lower realms, a version of myself unknown when I first entered the Eternal Continent, a version of myself being ridiculed by countless people, and a version of myself being the center of attention when I ascended the Five Elements Heavenly Stairway...
Each of us is experiencing a different life and facing different choices.
Some chose to back down, some chose to endure, some chose to rise up, and some chose to remain silent.
Countless fragments of life flashed before his eyes like a ceaseless river, and he stood in the middle of the river, quietly watching it all.
These are not illusions.
Rather, it is the possibility that this term emerges from nothingness.
This is the path of life that countless Han Xuanji might have walked, all now presented before him.
He saw himself choosing to give up spiritual practice and spend the rest of his life in a small town.
I saw myself indulging in pleasure and wallowing in sensual pleasures.
I saw my own impatience for quick success and instant benefits, and my own Qi Deviation.
Every "possibility" is so real; this is the essence of spiritual practice. If one's will is even slightly weak, one will lose oneself and be unable to distinguish between what is real and what is false.
Han Xuanji stood still, her heart as calm as still water, her gaze serene as she looked at those images of herself, before they faded away one by one.
Those illusory lives were like mirrors, reflecting all his desires, fears, obsessions, and vulnerabilities deep within his heart.
He saw them, but was unmoved by them.
Like an observer, examining one's own soul.
At this moment, the realm of spiritual will silently crossed the chasm between the Eternal Dao Master and the Eternal True Lord, and continues to climb upwards at a constant speed.
The Early Eternal True Lord.
Mid Eternal True Lord.
The mind and will are constantly being strengthened.
In Han Xuanji's perception, a long time seemed to have passed.
He suddenly realized something.
The cultivation of the mind and will is not about fighting against anything, but about accepting something.
Accept your desires, but don't be driven by them; accept your fears, but don't be controlled by them.
This is what is meant by " Heart Free of Obstructions ".
It's not that my heart is like still water, but rather that it's like a clear mirror.
Everything comes and goes without leaving a trace.
boom--
A silent roar exploded deep within my consciousness.
Han Xuanji felt that his mind and will were like a seedling breaking through the soil, growing wildly in that instant, rising from the ground and soaring into the sky.
Finally, the invisible barrier appeared before them.
That is the insurmountable barrier to the spiritual realm of the Eternal True God, as thick and heavy as ancient ice, which countless cultivators have spent their entire lives trying to budge.
Han Xuanji's will clashed with it.
Without retreating or hesitating, like a sword tempered for millions of years, it pierced straight into that barrier.
A crack appeared in the barrier.
The cracks spread outwards from the center, like a spider web.
At this moment, the mind and will entered a completely new realm.
And at this moment.
For the people inside the building, it was only a matter of a dozen or so breaths.
At this moment, Baili Qianchi led a woman in.
The woman wore a moon-white long dress, her face was as cold as frost, a zither-shaped mark was placed between her brows, and a faint Daoist aura surrounded her.
She held an ancient seven-stringed zither, its body entirely black except for a touch of vermilion at the tail, like a drop of divine blood.
The newcomer was none other than Qin Xin, the chief musician of the Shallow Dream Pavilion and a personal disciple of the Shallow Dream Pavilion.
He possesses Peak Eternal True Lord, and is only one step away from becoming Eternal True God.
Baili Qianchi went to great lengths to invite her, and his purpose was self-evident.
Using the Heart-Tempering Qin Music with the cultivation of Peak Eternal True Lord is nothing short of a dimensional reduction attack against a cultivator at the Eternal Dao Master level.
Although Baili Qianchi is also Eternal Dao Master, he mainly cultivates the Dao of the Heart Arrow, emphasizing the unity of mind and spirit and a clear mind.
He had walked alone in the desolate depths of the Eternal Continent for three thousand years, and his mind and will had long been honed to the level of Mid Eternal True Lord.
That's the source of his confidence.
Han Xuanji?
Baili Qianchi didn't believe he could hold out for long.
What good is high talent? What good is fast cultivation speed?
There are no shortcuts to tempering one's mind and will; it requires taking one step at a time and slowly enduring the years and hardships.
This young man is already S-Rank Talent of the Soul Household at such a young age. He ascended the Heavenly Ladder upon birth, making a name for himself and enjoying a smooth and successful life. How deep can his State of Mind be?
"Brother Han, this is Miss Qin Xin."
"She is the most skilled senior musician in the Shallow Dream Pavilion. How about she plays a piece for each of us, a fair exchange?"
"Can."
Han Xuanji nodded slightly.
Others may not know, but he is well aware of his own changes.
In a short period of time, his mental will rose directly from the Peak Eternal Dao Master to the level of the Eternal True God.
If we compare his previous mental will to a piece of ancient ice, indestructible and unmoved by external things, then now, this piece of ice has not melted into water, but has directly sublimated into light.
Formless and intangible, yet omnipresent; gentle yet sharp; calm yet insightful.
Imperishable destroyed even by countless calamities.
The so-called Imperishable does not mean that his mind can withstand all attacks without being penetrated, but that even if it is penetrated, crushed, and turned into dust, he can be reborn and endure tribulations without regret.
What is Imperishable is not the form, but the essence.
Like a drop of water falling into the ocean, it seems to disappear, but in reality, it returns to its source and can be condensed and formed again at any time.
Seeing Han Xuanji's expressionless face, Baili Qianchi sneered inwardly.
Go ahead and pretend!
The calmer you are now, the more embarrassed you will be later.
A contest of willpower and mental strength—if you lose, you'll make a complete fool of yourself...
Baili Qianchi had already foreseen Han Xuanji's defeat and could only hope that this prodigy of the Dao of Principle would not succumb to despair.
That would be far too boring.
Qin Xin was unaware of the grudge between the two. Her gaze swept over them indifferently, lingering briefly on Han Xuanji's face before moving away.
She had seen too many geniuses. Han Xuanji might be a rare prodigy in the cultivation of Dao of Principle, perhaps only seen once in billions of years, but he might not be able to withstand the sound of his zither.
"Let's give this kid a heads-up..."
Qin Xin now knew Han Xuanji's identity. Although she didn't care, she didn't want to get involved in these troubles for no reason.