Wu Li and Wu Yang enjoyed a lavish meal at the Yellow Chrysanthemum Restaurant, where they tasted the rare and exquisite Heaven Shaking Wine.
Naturally, Wu Li paid for everything. He paid a hefty price of 15 medium-grade Spirit Stones for their feast!
After all, the Heaven Shaking Wine was an extremely rare treasure, and it alone costed more than 10 medium-grade Spirit Stones.
After leaving the restaurant, they got two rooms at the The Drunken Clouds Inn.
As soon as they settled in their rooms, Wu Li received a visit from Lin Xiaoqing. She was not surprised that he had offended someone in the restaurant, but she was furious when she learned that he had flirted with another woman.
She gave him a sound spanking, which he could not resist with his Core Formation Realm cultivation.
Meanwhile, in the adjacent room...
He lay on his bed, restless and uneasy. He had tried to meditate, but the Heaven Shaking Wine he had shared with Wu Li earlier had disrupted his mind.
It was supposed to either strengthen his Dao Heart or weaken it, depending on his inner state.
"Why am I so restless?" Wu Yang wondered.
"Is my Dao Heart so weak and flawed?" Wu Yang doubted.
Wu Yang didn't consider himself to be a proud person, so he did not claim to have a flawless Dao Heart. He was just slightly dissatisfied.
After an hour of fruitless efforts, Wu Yang abandoned meditating.
He opened his eyes and whispered, "The Heaven Shaking Wine can expose the deepest secrets of the soul, secrets that even the person may not know they have."
"But what is the problem with my Dao Heart? I don't understand," Wu Yang was perplexed.
"What is bothering me? Do I resent following Wu Li's lead?"
"Not really… but I can't say that I enjoy it either."
As he delved deeper into his feelings, Wu Yang then asked himself, "Do I hate being a spectator? Being a nobody in this cultivation world? Being valued only because of Wu Li?"
Wu Yang's face turned pale. He didn't know why, but he felt a surge of anger and frustration that he had no say in his own destiny. His breath became heavy and uneven, and his whole body trembled. The more he realized that he was nothing but a background character, a spectator, the more he felt unbearable.
If Wu Li was a player, then Wu Yang was an NPC! This thought tormented him.
Upon realizing his frustration and true feelings, Wu Yang admitted, "It seems like… the flaw in my Dao Heart is that deep down, I refuse to live in Wu Li's shadow!"
Boom! Boom!
Wu Yang's Dantian underwent a remarkable transformation as it became more refined and pure.
The Dao Heart is ethereal, meaning it is not a physical entity but a manifestation of one's will and understanding of the Dao. However, it could also influence the Dantian, which is the core of one's cultivation and the source of one's Qi.
By having a strong and stable Dao Heart, one could enhance the quality and quantity of Qi in the Dantian, and even trigger a transformation that would elevate one's cultivation to a higher level.
His Qi soared to new heights as it circulated faster and smoother in his meridians. His Golden Core, which was the size of a fist and shone with a bright yellow light, also expanded and intensified. It looked like a miniature sun that radiated immense heat and power.
Wu Yang's Qi had also undergone a transformation. What was once the Fire Qi had evolved into the Formless Fire Qi, which held even greater potential for power and mastery.
But that was not all. Beneath his Golden Core, another unexpected change occurred. A huge platform, about three meters in diameter, emerged from the depths of his Dantian. It was red in color and had intricate patterns carved on its surface.
It looked like an Essence Foundation, but it was not. An Essence Foundation is a special combination of Dao Marks that is very hard to achieve.
A cultivator without an Essence Foundation has no hope of entering the Mortal Extremity Realm.
Even with only three Dao Marks in the Core Formation Realm, a cultivator with an Essence Foundation has some chances of breaking through. But without an Essence Foundation, even nine Dao Marks are useless.
However, forming an Essence Foundation is not easy. It requires the cultivator to condense Dao Marks from a series. The difficulty for condensing Dao Marks from the same series gets even crazier than condensing random Dao Marks.
Wu Yang didn't want to form an Essence Foundation, because he might've died before he could succeed.
"What is this?!" Wu Yang exclaimed as he looked at the platform inside his Dantian.
"Although it resembles an Essence Foundation, I don't have any Dao Marks of a series in my cultivation," Wu Yang scrutinized the platform more carefully.
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He was unable to identify what it was, but he sensed that it was not a hindrance to his cultivation path, but rather a boost, albeit very small.
Wu Yang suddenly had an idea. "I'll give it a fitting name," he declared.
"From now on, I'll refer to it as the Formless Fire pseudo-Essence Foundation."
With a sense of satisfaction, he turned his attention back to his cultivation, paying no heed to the passage of time. He had instructed Wu Li to inform him when the Azure Profound Star Secret Realm appeared.
Five days later, he heard a knock on his door.
Knock! Knock!
He rose from his bed and opened the door to see Wu Li and Lin Xiaoqing.
"Brother Yang, I have good news for you! The Azure Profound Star Secret Realm has opened!" Wu Li exclaimed.
"Really? That's good. Let's go then," Wu Yang said.
"Alright, follow me. We don't have much time to waste," Wu Li said as he led the way.
Wu Yang wondered why Wu Li was in such a hurry. He asked him, "Brother Li, what's the rush?"
Wu Li smiled and replied, "The Azure Profound Star Secret Realm is a rare opportunity. I've been to many Secret Realms before, but none of them could compare to this one. Even if I added up all the benefits I got from them, they would not amount to a tenth of what this Secret Realm can offer."
He added, "There are also some Soul Palace Realm puppets guarding the entrance of the Secret Realm. They won't let anyone in until they gathered 100 talented people. That's the condition for opening the Secret Realm."
Wu Yang nodded and quickly followed Wu Li's pace.
Soon, they reached the large lake that was the heart of the Spirit Lake City. The lake was clear and calm, reflecting the blue sky and the white clouds. It was said that the lake was connected to the Secret Realm, and that only those with high aptitude and a strong Dao Heart could enter its depths.
There were crowds of people, eager to test their aptitude and qualify for the Secret Realm. They formed long lines in front of several Stone Platforms that were connected to a Jade Platform through a bridge. They had to get to the Jade Platform to pass the trial.
The trio did not escape the attention of the crowd, especially Feng Lian and a mysterious man.
Behind the beautiful Feng Lian stood a haughty youth, Xu Long, who had also reached the Jade Platform.
He had a chiseled face, long black hair that flowed down his back, and black eyes that flashed with malice as he stared at Wu Li.
He then scanned Wu Yang and Lin Xiaoqing.
His eyes lingered on Lin Xiaoqing and he felt a surge of attraction for her beauty. Her black hair was like a cloud, her face was like a jade, and her white cloak gave her a mysterious charm. She had a captivating figure that was hidden by her cloak, but hinted at her curves. She looked like a fairy that had descended from the heavens.
Unlike Feng Lian, who looked like a fiery phoenix, Lin Xiaoqing had the frosty aura of an Immortal, distant and indifferent to the world.
"Brother Xu, this is the jerk that I've mentioned to you before! He had the nerve to hit on me, even after I told him that I'm engaged to you. He also showed no respect for you!" Feng Lian complained.
Xu Long's eyes showed scorn and said, "Oh? Really? I wonder if he is a wolf in sheep's clothing, or if he is just a sheep. Merely at the Core Formation Realm and he dares to pursue my woman."
At the same time, a mysterious man also watched Wu Yang and Wu Li from the Jade Platform, hidden from their sight. He said in a frosty voice, "These brats have grown so powerful, what kind of fortune did they stumble upon?"
Lin Xiaoqing, Wu Yang, and Wu Li arrived in front of one of the four Stone Platforms that were arranged in a square.
Each Stone Platform was carved with intricate runes and symbols, and emitted a faint light. They were connected to a Jade Platform in the center by a bridge that spanned over the lake. The bridge was made of precious materials such as gold, jade, and crystal, and had complex patterns on it that represented the Five Elements.
"Brother Yang, we need to pass through the Azure Profound Bridge in order to compete for the inheritance of the sect. We must hurry, since there are only three spots left for us," Wu Li said anxiously.
Feng Lian and Xu Long had already passed the selection with ease, and they were waiting on the Jade Platform for the Secret Realm to open. They looked at Wu Yang and his companions with disdain and mockery.
Lin Xiaoqing then added, "This Azure Profound Bridge is a test for a cultivator's Dao Heart, as well as their cultivation aptitude. If they don't have an Earth Grade Spiritual Root or above, or if their Dao Heart is weak, they might not pass the test. The bridge will create an Illusion Trial according to each person's attributes and challenges them with different illusions and dangers."
Wu Yang wasn't worried at all and jumped on the stone platform along with the other two.
He was the first to place his foot on the Azure Profound Bridge, followed by Lin Xiaoqing and then finally Wu Li.
As soon as their feet touched the bridge, a surge of energy engulfed them and snatched their souls away.
Wu Yang was not spared. He felt his consciousness being torn from his body and thrown into the Illusion Trial.
He opened his eyes and was greeted by a blinding white. A white that devoured everything in sight. A white that was silent and still. A white that was eternal and infinite. This space bore a faint resemblance to the black void of the System, but he knew that they were worlds apart.
"Where am I? Is this supposed to be my greatest fear?" Wu Yang asked himself. He scanned the horizon, but there was nothing to see.
"How can I be afraid of emptiness? There has to be a problem with the Azure Profound Bridge."
Wu Yang channeled his Formless Fire Qi, a unique type of Fire Qi that had no fixed shape or color, but could adapt to his will and imagination. He slashed at the white space, shattering it like a mirror.
The difference between the Fire Qi and the Formless Fire Qi wasn't that big, the latter being slightly more powerful.
"That's all?" Wu Yang felt a twinge of dissatisfaction. He hoped for something more thrilling.
He walked along the Azure Profound Bridge, almost reaching the Jade Platform, when a sudden thought struck him. "What if this is still an illusion?"
He felt a cold sweat break out on his forehead as he realized he might have been deceived by a deeper layer of lies.
But everything seemed so real. He glanced at the 97 people on the Jade Platform, and they looked alive and alert. They didn't resemble mindless dolls.
Upon examining the 97 people on the Jade Platform, he squinted his eyes in complete shock.
"How?! How is Wu Feng here?" Wu Yang was utterly baffled by Wu Feng's presence.
Wu Feng was his elder brother. He had vanished from the Jin Dynasty six years ago, and everyone assumed he was dead. But now he learned that he had somehow ended up in the Heavenly Spirit Empire and even passed the Azure Profound Bridge.
He was supposed to be a waste of space, a disgrace to the Wu Clan. But now he saw that he had not only overcome the Illusion Trial, but also possessed an Earth Grade Spiritual Root. How could he not be shocked?
"What's going on? What happened to him in these six years? How did he get here?"
Wu Yang had so many questions, but he decided to put them aside for now. "Never mind, I'll ask him later."
Wu Yang shifted his gaze to the other people on the Azure Profound Bridge, about two thousand of them, and he felt even more baffled. It felt extremely realistic.
Unlike Wu Yang who could walk freely after he "passed" the Illusion Trial, Wu Li and Lin Xiaoqing were still frozen in place.
Wu Yang decided to wait a little longer and ponder over this mystery.
"Is this still an illusion? If so, how can I break free?" Wu Yang wondered.
He gathered his Formless Fire Qi and tried to repeat what he did before in the white space, but this time, nothing happened. The space remained intact.
"Is this reality and I'm just paranoid?" Wu Yang questioned.
"If I'm still in the Illusion Trial, then there must be some clues that would expose it as a lie. Maybe some information that I don't know that would be filled in by the illusion."
"But how can I test that?" Wu Yang racked his brain for an answer. He felt a growing sense of dread as he realized he might be trapped in a nightmare.