The Spirit Awakening Realm, the trials about to begin
The waterfall thundered, and the mountain woods lay tranquil. Spiritual breath between heaven and earth surrounded Qin Yu, rising and falling with his every breath. At this moment, his spiritual sense and Spiritual Qi had completely merged, becoming a second pair of eyes that could discern the patterns of all things.
He slowly raised the Spear of Ashen Annihilation. Guided by his spiritual sense, its tip suddenly shone, and a dazzling gray-white light gathered along its edge. Unlike the rigidity and exhaustion of the mortal fetus realm, the spiritual light at his spear tip now moved freely and nimbly, ready to be unleashed at a thought.
"Let's give it a try-"
Qin Yu murmured, gripping the shaft tightly with both hands as his spiritual sense instantly locked onto the cliff ahead. Spiritual Qi surged, the vortex in his dantian spun with a roar, and gray-white radiance abruptly streamed up the shaft.
"Whoosh-!"
The spear tip trembled, and Spiritual Qi transformed into a spear beam like sword light, tearing through the air. The gray-white pillar of light streaked toward the cliff a hundred zhang away like a thunderbolt, carrying a destructive presence.
"Boom-!"
The roar shook heaven and earth!
A fissure several zhang deep was forcibly torn into the iron-hard cliff. Shattered stones flew outward, only to be restrained in midair by Qin Yu's spiritual sense, hanging motionless without falling. Even heaven and earth were under the control of his power.
The lingering waves of Spiritual Qi surged, whipping the air into a hurricane that swept the waterfall to either side. The curtain of water parted, revealing the bare cliff. Mist churned and intertwined with the radiance, forming a vast rainbow in midair.
Qin Yu's long hair danced, his robes snapped in the wind, and his eyes blazed like stars. He could clearly feel it-this strike was no longer a simple release of Spiritual Qi, but the true might born of resonance between spiritual sense and Spiritual Qi!
"So this is the power of the spirit awakening realm..."
He murmured, an unprecedented confidence and hot-blooded fervor welling up within him. The Spear of Ashen Annihilation in his hands had now truly become an extension of his spiritual sense and will. The spear was the man, and the man was the spear.
Heaven and earth's spiritual breath surged, and the waterfall's rainbow shone. Qin Yu stood amid them, a god of war newly stepping onto the immortal path revealed.
Qin Yu stood beneath the rainbow, Spiritual Qi surging within him. His spiritual sense and the central vortex in his dantian echoed each other, and all of heaven and earth pulsed with his will. He slowly closed his eyes, immersing his mind in the incantation for the third form of the Spirit Spear Heaven-Guiding Art.
"The third form-Heaven-Guiding Strike."
Before his words faded, his dantian suddenly roared. An immense mass of Spiritual Qi gathered within him and rapidly poured into the Spear of Ashen Annihilation. The shaft trembled, gray-white radiance flashing violently, a star gathering its own power of destruction.
Qin Yu bent his knees slightly, then abruptly leaped, shooting into the sky, straight into the waterfall's mist and the sea of clouds! High above, fierce winds howled, mist churned, and heaven and earth's spiritual breath was instantly drawn into motion.
He raised the Spear of Ashen Annihilation high in both hands. Gray-white light blazed from its tip, and a dazzling crescent arc appeared.
"Hah-!"
With his furious shout, all his strength poured forth, and the battle spear slashed down with the force of thunder!
"Boom-!"
Heaven and earth fell silent in that instant.
The moment the spear fell, a gray-white arc appeared in the void, spanning heaven and earth for dozens of zhang! Wherever it passed, black fissures tore through the air. Amid interwoven thunder, light, and shadow, space itself was cleaved by this strike.
The arc slammed into the mountainside beneath the waterfall!
A deafening roar rang out, and mountain rock shattered. A corner of the entire cliff was forcibly severed, broken stones cascading like a meteor shower. The waterfall was flung dozens of zhang into the air by the impact, its spray bursting into countless crystalline points of light that glittered brilliantly in the sunlight.
The scene was magnificent beyond measure-gray-white light intertwined with the rainbow mist, heaven and earth trembled, and a grand epic scroll slowly unfolded in Qin Yu's hands.
Qin Yu landed, his feet planted firmly on the bluestone. Spiritual Qi shook violently within him, but his gaze only burned more fiercely.
"So this is... the true power of Heaven-Guiding Strike!"
The tip of the Spear of Ashen Annihilation still hummed, its lingering resonance undispersed, singing aloud with him. The wind howled between heaven and earth, and the waterfall thundered, applauding this strike.
The waterfall still thundered, but that strike had sent its waters flying diagonally to either side. The split in the mountainside was shocking to behold, and heaven and earth bore witness to Qin Yu's eruption of power.
Qin Yu exhaled a long breath, his chest heaving. His Spiritual Qi had been almost instantly drained, his meridians ached faintly, and the vortex in his dantian teetered on the brink, liable to collapse at any moment from being pushed beyond its limits.
"So this... is the price of Heaven-Guiding Strike."
He looked up at the enormous cleft in the cliff, his gaze blazing yet tinged with gravity. Its power was indeed formidable, enough to destroy an opponent's defenses in an instant and even change the course of a battle, but its consumption of Spiritual Qi was equally staggering. With his current cultivation, he could never use it more than twice in a life-or-death duel.
Qin Yu slowly put away the Spear of Ashen Annihilation, sat cross-legged, closed his eyes, and circulated the Mystic Origin Body Tempering Art. As he guided the lingering ripples of Spiritual Qi through his meridians, his blood Qi gradually settled, and his muscles, sinews, and bones began recovering under its tempering.
Circulating the Mystic Origin Body Tempering Art let him clearly feel his body's resilience and recuperative strength-it was precisely this that had allowed him to endure that heaven-destroying, earth-annihilating expenditure.
"That's right..." Qin Yu's heart jolted, and his eyes suddenly brightened. "If I combine the Mystic Origin Body Tempering Art with the Spirit Spear Heaven-Guiding Art, using a tempered body to bear the explosive release of Spiritual Qi, perhaps I can last longer and unleash this kind of power more times!"
He imagined future battles: the Spear of Ashen Annihilation in hand, spear light sweeping in every direction, while the Mystic Origin Body Tempering Art made his meridians, sinews, and bones as tough as iron, able to withstand repeated bursts of Spiritual Qi without becoming exhausted in an instant.
At that moment, a clear direction emerged in Qin Yu's heart-
Strength had to encompass both offense and defense, spirit and body united, to stand undefeated on a true battlefield!
The wind gradually eased, and the waterfall once again hung like the Silver River, mist spreading beneath a rainbow that spanned the sky. Qin Yu opened his eyes, his gaze utterly resolute, and rose to his full height, his spear tip gleaming sharply in the sunlight.
For days, roars and waves of air echoed across the bluestone plaza before the waterfall on the rear mountain.
Every day, Qin Yu sat cross-legged and absorbed Heaven and Earth Spiritual Qi to consolidate his foundation in the spirit awakening realm. During daylight, he wielded the Spear of Ashen Annihilation, repeatedly practicing the first two forms of the Spirit Spear Heaven-Guiding Art.
The first form, Spiritual Light Thrust, sharp as starlight.
At first, the pillar of light fluctuated uncontrollably in strength. But after several days of adjustment, every thrust Qin Yu made turned his spear tip into a straight beam of gray-white spiritual light that pierced the rock face ahead without fail. Dozens of holes riddled the cliff, as though thunderbolts had punched through it.
The second form, Qi Cyclone Spear Dance, wild as a storm.
At first, the whirlwind was chaotic and the Spiritual Qi scattered, nearly engulfing him. But through constant adjustments to his breathing and the guidance of his spiritual sense, Qin Yu finally managed to stand firmly in the eye of the storm. The cyclone raised by his spear no longer ran out of control, becoming instead an extension of his will. With the whirlwind guarding his body and mist rolling around him, he became the very center of heaven and earth whenever he swung his battle spear. An enemy could not come even a fraction closer.
He trained by day and regulated his breath by night. Every breath of Spiritual Qi consumed and recovered honed his body and mind. The Mystic Origin Body Tempering Art continually tempered his sinews and bones, allowing him to sustain longer bursts of power, while the Spiritual Breath Essence Condensation Method made the circulation of Spiritual Qi in his dantian smoother by the day.
At dawn on the seventh day, as the rising sun emerged from the sea of clouds, Qin Yu stood like an iron tower before the waterfall.
"Spiritual Light Thrust!"
His spear shot forward, its gray-white pillar of light like a thread of heavenly radiance piercing the sea of mist and striking the waterfall's middle. With a thunderous crash, the waterfall was forcibly torn open, its waters splitting into two streams that cascaded down either side.
"Qi Cyclone Spear Dance!"
The battle spear whirled, and a storm sprang up. The surrounding mist was swept into it, becoming a raging water dragon that coiled around him, guarding his entire body without a single gap.
Qin Yu drew back his spear and stood, his breathing deep and sustained. Though the Spiritual Qi in his dantian had diminished, it was no longer exhausted. His gaze blazed, and he whispered inwardly:
"These two forms... finally follow my will!"
The waterfall fell once more, rainbow light shining, and heaven and earth applauded him.
The waterfall still thundered, and a rainbow spanned the valley, bearing witness to the fruits of Qin Yu's days of arduous training.
He slowly put away the Spear of Ashen Annihilation. Spiritual Qi flowed through him like a spring, completely unlike his immature state a few days earlier. He could now unleash both Spiritual Light Thrust and Qi Cyclone Spear Dance at will, without the slightest awkwardness remaining.
"It's about time," Qin Yu murmured, gazing toward the distant cluster of halls, a glimmer of determination flashing through his eyes.
He turned away from the waterfall, his steps steady, his figure gradually disappearing into the morning mist among the mountain woods. Birds scattered in alarm, and tree shadows swayed. All was quiet between heaven and earth, save for Qin Yu's retreating figure, straight as a spear and carrying a newly tempered sharpness.
Passing along the long stairway, he glanced back at the rear mountain's churning sea of clouds and whispered inwardly:
"It's time to return... the path of an outer disciple has only just begun."
Sunlight spilled through the clouds, stretching his shadow long and resolute as he gradually merged into the magnificent outline of the Cloud-Leveling Hall.
When Qin Yu returned to the outer disciples' courtyard, warm sunlight filled it, and a breeze brushed over the stone steps, bringing a trace of tranquility. As soon as he pushed open the gate, he saw Yang Zheng sitting cross-legged beside the stone table, a thick ancient volume cradled in his arms, his honest smile unable to conceal his excitement.
"Brother Yu!" Yang Zheng sprang up and came forward as though he had been waiting a long time. "You're finally back! I haven't been idle these past few days either. I went to the Cultivation Methods Hall and picked out the sword art that suited me best."
As he spoke, he presented the ancient volume to Qin Yu with both hands. Its cover glowed faintly blue, engraved with three characters:
"Heng Mountain Sword Art."
Qin Yu swept his gaze over it, his heart stirring slightly. The method's summary read:
Founded upon weight and solidity, centered upon steadiness.
Sword momentum like a mountain, continuous and unbroken, suited to those of steady temperament and firm foundations.
Its three sword forms were [Steady as a Mountain], [Balanced Force Break], and [Mountain Crushing the Summit], all centered on defense and counterattack.
"This sword art is a little cumbersome to practice, but I think it suits me especially well." Yang Zheng smiled honestly. "I've tried it a few times. When I swing the sword, my whole body becomes one with the Azure Balance Sword."
After hearing him out, Qin Yu nodded inwardly. Yang Zheng was honest and steady by nature, with no taste for flashy tricks, making him ideally suited to a sword art that "won through weight and solidity." If he truly faced an opponent in battle, he might not be able to kill them with a single strike, but his resilience and stability could let him stand undefeated.
"Good, Brother Yang." Qin Yu patted his shoulder, genuine gratification in his voice. "A sword is like a person-it has to be the right fit. With the Azure Balance Sword paired with this Heng Mountain Sword Art, you'll surely become an opponent people fear."
Light shone in Yang Zheng's eyes. He nodded and said with an honest chuckle, "Hehe, naturally! Brother Yu, the two of us brothers, one with a spear and one with a sword-we'll definitely fight side by side in the future!"
The sunset's lingering glow shone on them, and the Azure Balance Sword and Spear of Ashen Annihilation glimmered together, heralding a future legend whose curtain was quietly rising.
Evening sunlight spilled over the outer courtyard, its atmosphere warm and peaceful. Qin Yu and Yang Zheng were exchanging their new cultivation methods when the gate suddenly creaked open.
Deacon Zhang Hao entered with his hands behind his back, his gaze sweeping over them.
"It seems neither of you has wasted these past few days." His voice was as even as ever, but held a faint trace of gratification.
Before his words faded, he extended his divine sense. After only a brief inspection, his expression suddenly changed.
"The spirit... awakening realm?!"
Shock flashed in Zhang Hao's eyes as he stared fixedly at Qin Yu, checking whether he was imagining things. Only a month earlier, this youth had merely been at the middle stage of the mortal fetus realm, yet now he had firmly entered the spirit awakening realm!
"This... this speed is simply inconceivable," Zhang Hao marveled inwardly. He considered his own talent respectable and had enjoyed a modest reputation in the Cloud-Leveling Hall when young, yet it had taken him three full years to make a stable breakthrough from the mortal fetus realm to spirit awakening. Qin Yu, standing before him, had taken only a month!
Looking at Yang Zheng beside him, though he had worked just as hard, he had only just entered the early stage of the mortal fetus realm, his presence still immature. Zhang Hao's heart filled with mixed feelings: this was the gulf in talent. No matter how hard ordinary disciples worked, they might never catch up to someone with truly peerless aptitude.
Still, he quickly composed himself, his tone turning solemn. "Qin Yu, Yang Zheng, you must understand that cultivation is not merely training behind closed doors. Tomorrow, the outer disciples will head out for a trial. This is an opportunity the Cloud-Leveling Hall has arranged for you, and the first step in testing whether you can truly grow."
He paused, his gaze passing over Qin Yu before turning to Yang Zheng, and said gravely, "Going out for a trial is different from your everyday cultivation. It is true tempering through life and death. You may encounter demonic beasts, face dangerous situations, or even confront covert struggles with other disciples. Remember-not everyone will return alive."
Yang Zheng's expression tightened, and the hand gripping the Azure Balance Sword trembled slightly. Then he took a deep breath and nodded firmly. "This disciple... understands!"
Qin Yu merely narrowed his eyes, his gaze deep and his voice steady as a mountain. "This disciple will give his utmost and not disgrace the name of the outer disciples."
Zhang Hao gazed at him for a long time, his expression complicated, and thought inwardly:
"This child... perhaps he is already destined for more than merely being an outer disciple."
Night descended, and the lights in the outer disciples' courtyard gradually went out. Zhang Hao and Yang Zheng left together, and quiet returned.
Qin Yu sat alone in his room, his spear resting across his knees, his gaze deep as he silently studied his palm.
The gray light that had suddenly flashed within him during his battle with Luo Chuan remained branded in his heart like a shadow. He had personally felt that terrifying power, capable of destroying everything in the flash of lightning and flint. Yet now, however he recalled it, regulated his breathing, or circulated Spiritual Qi, he could not draw out even the slightest fluctuation.
He tried circulating the Mystic Origin Body Tempering Art, and his Spiritual Qi flowed as usual. He then examined his dantian and meridians with his spiritual sense, but they were clear and unchanged, without any trace of that "gray light."
"What exactly is it..." Qin Yu murmured, his gaze growing heavier.
He closed his eyes, trying to retrace what he had felt in that instant. It had not been ordinary Spiritual Qi, nor did it resemble the power of any cultivation method. It was more like a presence of utter negation and erasure. Cold, absolute, and even bearing a trace of unfamiliarity that made his heart tremble.
"I clearly remember it wasn't an illusion. But why now... can't I find even a trace?"
An unprecedented sense of helplessness welled up within him.
Night wind blew through the window's cracks, making the candle flame sway. Qin Yu opened his eyes, his gaze cold as a sword, and finally murmured:
"Whatever you are, one day I will find the answer."
His shadow stretched long and lonely in the candlelight, a silent statue seated motionless. That gray light became the deepest question and obsession in his heart.
The night deepened, and the candle flickered. Qin Yu sat motionless, yet his mind repeatedly pursued the traces of that gray light. When his pondering bore no fruit, he gradually sank into stillness, spiritual breath circulating slowly with his breathing, and heaven and earth quieted along with him.
As he unknowingly entered meditation, the countless questions in his heart gradually dissolved into silence, leaving only one obsession: to discover the truth of that power.
After an unknown length of time, the distant morning bell rang out leisurely.
"Dong-dong-dong-"
The low, far-reaching tolls penetrated the mountain gates and vibrated through the air, carrying the morning's spiritual breath toward him. Qin Yu abruptly opened his eyes, his black gaze clear as stars, his presence already steady.
Outside the window, the morning sun was rising, clouds and mist churned, and distant mountains spread like a sea. Heaven and earth were solemn and magnificent.
Qin Yu slowly rose and pushed open the courtyard gate, facing the cool mountain wind as his robes snapped around him. He looked up toward the Cloud-Leveling Hall's mountain gates towering into the clouds, unwavering determination shining in his eyes.
"The trial... is finally about to begin."
He understood that this journey was not only a test, but an opportunity. Only by truly experiencing life, death, and slaughter could he hone strength sufficient to face the future. Perhaps, in those moments at the limits, that mysterious gray light would appear again.
At that thought, he slowly tightened his grip on the Spear of Ashen Annihilation. Its tip trembled slightly, gray-white luster flashing in response to its master's resolve.
Qin Yu gathered his thoughts, returned to his room, and sorted his clothes and spiritual pills. A moment later, with his spear on his back, he stepped out and headed firmly toward the outer disciples' gathering place.
The morning bell's echoes had yet to fade when hundreds of outer disciples assembled in the Cloud-Leveling Hall's outer training plaza. The plaza stretched vast as a sea, spiritual patterns glimmering on its bluestone paving. Towering halls stood majestically amid swirling clouds and mist all around, their imposing presence bearing down on heaven and earth.
The disciples' robes fluttered as they stood in orderly ranks, some nervous, others excited, murmured conversations rising and falling. Today, they would truly leave the mountain gates for the first time and face the trial awaiting them as outer disciples.
As everyone waited quietly, a mighty presence suddenly pressed down from the sky, and the entire plaza fell silent.
An elder with a beard reaching his chest slowly descended through the air, his white robes billowing. He stepped upon the void without falling, Spiritual Qi surrounding him and a river of stars guarding his body. His eyes were like lightning, his expression solemn, and the pressure of the middle stage of the yuan transformation realm radiated from him, sending a tremor through every disciple's heart.
"Disciples, hear my command!"
The elder's voice boomed like a great bell, reverberating throughout the plaza.
"The destination of this outer disciple trial is the Shadow Woods. Recently, Yin Qi has been breeding there, and demonic beasts have appeared, disrupting travelers and repeatedly injuring people. Your first task on this journey is to eliminate those lurking demonic beasts and cleanse the mountain woods. Your second task is to gather the spiritual herbs growing there and bring them back to the sect. Both tasks are tests in your trial."
Having spoken, he swept his blazing gaze over the assembly. Enveloped in that invisible pressure, the disciples held their breaths and focused, not daring to be careless.
"Remember!" The elder's voice suddenly deepened, carrying unquestionable authority. "Though the Shadow Woods are no deadly forbidden land, the demonic beasts are savage, and Yin Qi weighs upon the heart. The slightest carelessness could cost your lives. This journey is both an opportunity and a tempering through life and death. Those who dare slacken deserve no pity if they die!"
The plaza was utterly silent, save for the heavy sound of breathing.
A moment later, the elder swept his broad sleeve, Spiritual Qi rising like a storm, his voice shaking mountains and rivers:
"Form ranks. Set out!"
At once, hundreds of disciples answered in unison, "We obey the elder's command!"
Their voices shook the clouds like roaring thunder. Qin Yu stood among them, gripping the Spear of Ashen Annihilation, his gaze deep as burning battle intent ignited within him:
The Shadow Woods... perhaps this is my chance to discover the truth of the gray light.