Silence, desolation, an endless expanse, like a starless, barren universe—this was the inner realm. The highest level of meditation, where mere minutes in the outside world could transform into years here. Of course, Daoist explanations of the Yellow Court's inner realm made the most sense: a place of emptiness and silence, where one could remain for a long time, maintaining transcendence and calmness, unpredictable and enigmatic.
Wang Xuan felt a surge of excitement upon entering for the second time. He knew very well what this meant: it was the fundamental reason behind the power of pre-Qin sorcerers. "There are signs of lightning strikes!" Wang Xuan focused intently, observing closely. The once dim and even chilly inner realm had certain areas that were actually charred, different from what he had seen last time.
Quickly, he calmed himself. Once inside, his senses became exceptionally acute, and he entered a state of profound tranquility. Cautiously, he moved through the charred ground, feeling as if he were witnessing the overflow of destructive matter. Though surrounded by clarity and calmness, he still sensed a suffocating oppression.
With a thunderous roar, it felt as if history was rewinding, revealing once more that earth-shattering lightning, streaking across the sky of the pre-Qin era like a comet crashing to earth—grand and devastating, annihilating everything. In a daze, he felt as if an ascended being in white, incredibly powerful, looked up, yet even they could not withstand that lightning strike, scattering into celestial light, cascading across time and space.
A chill ran down Wang Xuan's spine. How could humanity ever resist such power? In that absolute transcendent state, he quickly returned to calmness and silence, observing quietly.
The inner realm had large swathes of charred earth still tinged with residual lightning, far beyond his imagination. In his understanding, the realm of emptiness was isolated from the present world; only the spirit could penetrate here, while the physical body could only remain outside. What lay before him was desolate, empty, even lifeless. The residual lightning flickered out, returning to the charred ground, subverting his perceptions.
He took a step forward, but as he approached the charred area, a breeze stirred beneath his feet, causing violent changes ahead. The vast expanse of charred land and lingering lightning rapidly dissipated, like a sandcastle washed away by the sea, collapsing in an instant.
As Wang Xuan advanced, anything that differed from the past crumbled to dust, the blackened areas fading, the lightning extinguishing, leaving nothing behind. He stopped, watching the surroundings revert to desolation and emptiness, pondering deeply.
"The inner realm ultimately cannot be interfered with by the present world? What I just saw transformed into dust as I moved forward, all decayed." He stood still, silently sensing, finally sighing, "What I witnessed was merely a replay of history, not the real scene."
Once he uttered these words, the inner realm grew increasingly barren and lifeless. Wang Xuan understood that what he had just seen were remnants of the female sorcerer's past spiritual power, not actual lightning from that time.
"The Ascension Stones are rare treasures!" Wang Xuan's eyes gleamed with depth, feeling more confident in pursuing the ancient arts, seeing numerous possibilities for the future. At this moment, he completely understood why he could be here.
Years ago, the female sorcerer had been extraordinarily powerful, aspiring to become an immortal, but ultimately failed, her essence shattered by tremendous lightning. In that underground cave, a terrifying explosion of ascension had occurred, scattering her spiritual power and the mysterious substances she had brought from the inner realm.
"The mysterious substance, along with her residual spiritual energy, impacted the rock layers, most of it dissipating, leaving only a trace to become the Ascension Stones." This was why Wang Xuan, without activating his super-sense, could vaguely see the edge of the inner realm and ultimately arrive here again. The Ascension Stones contained residual spiritual energy from the female sorcerer, and even though she had long since passed, her lingering spiritual power was still significant to future generations.
This residual spiritual energy resonated naturally with the inner realm she had opened, and once activated by someone, it could lead one back into the realm of emptiness. "The mysterious substances in the inner realm are the key."
Wang Xuan believed that these mysterious materials encapsulated the residual spiritual energy, embedded within the stones, preserving it all. Additionally, he could sense it, discover the Ascension Stones, and ultimately enter the inner realm again, which was also related to his previous absorption of the mysterious substances.
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He unraveled all these causal relationships, yet he still did not understand what exactly the inner realm was. In fact, no one had ever clearly explained the secrets of this emptiness; it was desolate, silent, and lifeless, eluding comprehension.
In the distance, there were still sights, but Wang Xuan did not rush over. He had not forgotten his original intention for entering the inner realm: to rise rapidly and grow stronger, so he could face everything in the present world calmly. Today, he felt he had taken a shortcut. He wasn't sure if it was the same as last time, standing in a state of clarity, able to practice body techniques and rapidly enhance his strength.
Wang Xuan silently recited the Golden Body Technique, directly practicing, starting from the first level and progressing to the latter part of the third level, where he had practiced last time. "Effective!" He felt his being was clear, his posture aligned with the records of the Golden Body Technique, flawless, and his movements extraordinarily precise.
He immersed himself in his training, forgetting everything else, all his thoughts focused solely on the Golden Body Technique, thus enhancing his physicality. He continued until he felt exhausted, then turned to the ancient techniques of the pre-Qin sorcerers. Mysterious substances drifted from the void, nourishing Wang Xuan's spirit, sweeping away fatigue; he felt his energy surge once more.
He sighed with relief; there were no surprises or upheavals. Although he had slipped in, the inner realm still allowed him to practice body techniques and increase his strength. He was already close to the fourth level of the Golden Body Technique. When he practiced again, it came naturally. His body glimmered with golden light, bursting forth with blinding rays, incredibly bright, before returning to normal.
At the same time, his spirit flickered like a dancing flame of gold, soon calming down. The fourth level of the Golden Body Technique... achieved! Wang Xuan confirmed that the inner realm retained its mystery, and standing here was equivalent to entering the highest meditative domain. He felt even more peace and tranquility within.
He walked slowly forward, wanting to see what lay in the distance. There was... a group of buildings amidst the decaying scenery, with dry lakes and collapsed pavilions. Was this also due to the residual spiritual energy of the female sorcerer? Only a few structures stood stubbornly, surrounded by crumbling walls and decay.
In one room, a window stood open, with a long table piled high with bamboo slips from the pre-Qin era, among which was even a golden slip! Wang Xuan's eyes widened; even in this state of transcendence and calmness, he felt his heart race and his breathing quicken. How many scriptures did those pre-Qin bamboo slips contain? What depths of ancient techniques and body skills did they involve? And a golden slip—how could he not be moved?
However, he dared not move closer, fearing that even the slightest breeze would scatter everything ahead into dust, leaving nothing behind. After watching for a long while, he sighed softly. Even if he could approach, what good would it do? All the slips remained unopened; if he tried to examine them, he would likely be left with only fading light and decaying dust.
This feeling made him somewhat uncomfortable; he could only watch, unable to get close, knowing that priceless scriptures lay on the table yet remained beyond his reach. "Never mind, I already possess the ancient techniques of the pre-Qin sorcerers, and I have the body techniques left by Zhang Daoling, the founder of Daoism. These are sufficiently profound and unfathomable, requiring me to spend a long time studying them. There's no need to be greedy; even if I had all the bamboo slips from the table, I wouldn't have time to practice."
Wang Xuan consoled himself and took a step back, feeling a sense of liberation, as if his spirit had been elevated. He was astonished; had he achieved enlightenment?
Soon, he realized with horror that it wasn't the case at all, as the surrounding scenery changed. No longer were there buildings, but a truly magnificent expanse of heaven and earth, which felt grand and vast. What was happening? He had not yet left the group of buildings; why had the scene changed on its own? Was it the residual spiritual energy of the female sorcerer at work? This possibility crossed his mind immediately.
He stood in silence, running the ancient techniques of the pre-Qin sorcerers. In an instant, everything returned to its original state: still the crumbling walls, the decaying scenery, the lifeless room with priceless bamboo slips displayed on the table.
Suddenly, he felt an eerie atmosphere; something was off. He turned abruptly, and in that moment, his pupils contracted sharply, involuntarily retreating. Because before his eyes was a pair of blood-red shoes, suspended in the air, level with his gaze—clearly a woman's shoes.
In the dim ruins, the sudden appearance of such an anomaly made Wang Xuan's heart race, sensing something strange. Vivid red blood dripped from the shoes, chilling him to the bone, nearly splattering onto him. He stepped back, only to see a blinding lightning bolt fall from the heavens, cascading like a galaxy, striking the blood-red shoes directly.
In that instant, a pair of snow-white feet appeared in the shoes, followed by long, straight, white legs, and then a flowing white dress fell, covering her figure.
Haunted?! Wang Xuan felt an overwhelming sense of unease. Though he hadn't seen the woman's face yet, he was certain it was connected to the female sorcerer. In this desolate, lifeless place, the eerie atmosphere weighed heavily on him. Compelled by some unseen force, he blurted out, "You're exposed!"
As soon as he spoke, he regretted it, wanting to cover his mouth. In a state of absolute tranquility, he felt no need to lie, yet his candid words led to this moment of deep regret.