In a daze, Lin Wuxi found herself in a cave. The cave was dark all around, the earth damp, and the rock walls flickered with a faint, eerie fluorescence. Ahead, several branching paths led to dark cave entrances that seemed ready to devour anyone who entered. If she tried to retreat, she would find the way back was sealed, giving a desperate feeling of having no path to heaven and no gate to earth.
Lin Wuxi frowned and looked closely at the faint fluorescence. Indeed, it was Gloom Cloud Stone. This stone preferred shade and was often found near large spirit meridians. It naturally emitted fluorescence. If present in large quantities, prolonged exposure could suppress a cultivator’s cultivation level to some extent. For cultivators below the Fusion stage, it was practically a bane. Moreover, judging by the appearance of these stones, they had likely been enhanced with a formation by the sect elders to maximize their effect.
Coupled with the previous continuous battles, Lin Wuxi was now only slightly better off than a mortal. Fortunately, this was only a trial of her mental state and did not require the use of spiritual energy.
Lin Wuxi hadn’t walked far before she noticed the surrounding pressure seemed to increase. After pondering for a moment, she guessed this was likely what the trial was testing. She surmised that what she was experiencing were illusions created by the formation. In essence, they wouldn’t actually cause any physical harm, yet her sensations were entirely indistinguishable from reality. If she could persevere and walk through this formation, that would be excellent. But if she succumbed to the illusions within it, she would be at its mercy. This was a ‘Soul Parting Formation,’ a type of advanced formation. Since it was a formation, it could naturally be broken. But since an advanced formation was called advanced, its breaking method would never be simple. And the method to break this ‘Soul Parting Formation’ was by no means simple, even among the most complex and nigh-unbreakable advanced formations.
The deeper she went, the faster the pressure increased. In the long, narrow, and dark cave, apart from the occasional sound of dripping water, only Lin Wuxi’s heavy footsteps could be heard. The damp ground soiled Lin Wuxi’s originally neat and clean boots. Her movements also seemed hindered by the mud underfoot, progressing from an initial leisurely stroll to focused effort, and then to a state of near stagnation. At this time, ghastly white bones gradually appeared on the cave walls, as if countless corpses were buried within.
As time passed, the surrounding white bones increased in number. Soon, they densely covered the entire rock wall, appearing particularly terrifying under the dim fluorescence.
Her body now felt as if it weighed a thousand catties, and a light sheen of sweat had appeared on Lin Wuxi’s forehead. The surrounding white bones began to extend their claws towards Lin Wuxi, their pale, skeletal arms seeming to want to drag her into hell. This made the already arduous journey even more difficult.
Even knowing it was fake, seeing the dismembered limbs exuding the stench of rot and the decaying faces emerging from the rock walls, grinning sinisterly at her… Sharp, ear-piercing screams echoed in the long, narrow cave, threatening to pierce one’s eardrums. Anyone seeing such a scene, like a vision of Avici Hell, would feel their hair stand on end in terror.
But Lin Wuxi did not. Her light cyan boots seemed oblivious to the surrounding scene as she took heavy, slow steps, firmly, without any pause, one foot in front of the other.
Lin Wuxi didn’t know how long she had walked or how far. She only felt the pressure from all around her was like countless mountains, squeezing her in the middle, as if she would be ground into powder with a single breath. Even though she knew this caused no physical harm, the realism of the sensation made it impossible for her to simply treat it as an illusion formation.
Her vision seemed to blur. In a daze, Lin Wuxi thought she saw overlapping figures. Faces flashed rapidly before her eyes. Laughter, crying, and scolding echoed alternately in her ears. Departing backs and malicious eyes seemed to want to drag her back into that endless darkness, doomed forever.
Suddenly, the surrounding pressure vanished without warning. Lin Wuxi felt a roar in her head, her vision went black, and fresh blood spilled from her mouth. She staggered but managed to stay upright by leaning on the Qingyu Brush in her hand.
After standing for a long time, Lin Wuxi finally regained her sight.
She shook her head hard. Lin Wuxi erased those thoughts from her mind that should no longer linger. She looked around. It was much wider than the original cave, but there was no path ahead. In the very center was an exquisitely decorated platform, upon which a round, lustrous pill floated gently. Just from the rich spiritual energy lingering around it, one could tell this pill was extraordinary!
Lin Wuxi examined it briefly and recognized it as a Heart-Cleansing Pill. Though called a pill, it was a natural treasure, taking a thousand years to form one in a spiritual vein. If taken during the Fusion Realm, one could advance to the Spirit Connection Realm in just one year, instantly saving decades of cultivation. It could also help cultivators whose talent limited them to the Fusion Realm break through their bottleneck, enter the Spirit Connection Realm, and gain nearly a hundred years of lifespan! Therefore, this pill was highly sought after, always priceless and unavailable on the market. Its appearance would invariably stir up a storm of blood.
An ordinary person would have likely rushed forward to claim it. But Lin Wuxi stood still, making no move. Her eyes scanned the rock walls. Her bright, clear eyes swept over the radiant platform in the center, the uneven ground, the rough surrounding rock walls, and even the dark, hidden crevices.
Suddenly, her sharp, scanning gaze froze. She stared intently at a dark, narrow corner to her left. At the same time, her hands quickly formed seals, and she whispered: “Heaven’s grace descends, all evils retreat, clear eyes guard the spirit, illusion break on its own, break!” After speaking, she pointed forward. A muffled thud came from the darkness, the sound of something heavy falling.
Looking closely, a butterfly demon had appeared to Lin Wuxi’s left at some unknown time. The butterfly demon said, “You, a mere late-stage of Enlightenment girl, how on earth did you see through this demon’s illusion?”
Lin Wuxi found its words rather amusing and, feeling playful, cupped her fists in imitation. “This humble student is untalented but has read a few unorthodox books, which happened to mention this Heart-Cleansing Pill. Although the Heart-Cleansing Pill is born in spiritual veins, Rockmoss Herb often grows alongside it. This humble student just observed the surroundings and saw no Rockmoss Herb, thus guessing this pill was an illusion. Furthermore, observing your hiding place, Your Excellency, though it seemed perfectly natural and no different from the surroundings, the size, texture, and distribution of fluorescent light on the rocks there were completely different. So I made a move to test it, not expecting to accidentally injure Your Excellency. This was truly a fluke, and if I have offended you, I hope Your Excellency will forgive me.”
The butterfly demon, hearing Lin Wuxi’s explanation, felt its heart bloom with joy and didn’t dwell on the matter. It waved its sleeve and smiled, “No matter. What you experienced was a trial; it can’t be called an offense. It’s rather impressive that a mere junior like you could see through this demon’s illusion; you’re not entirely foolish. Ordinary people would have given up in the previous illusion. Even if a few occasionally pass that test, they would have rushed for this Heart-Cleansing Pill. Besides you, you are the second one to pass this second trial.”
Although Lin Wuxi was very curious about who else had passed this trial, she had more important matters to attend to. She immediately said with a serious expression, “Your Excellency overpraises me. However, this junior has also heard that if one can completely pass this trial, one can obtain a command flag. Those who have this flag can be exceptionally granted a spot for external missions—opportunities usually reserved for core sect disciples—and enjoy the same cultivation treatment as them.”
To be honest, these two conditions had made countless Wan Hen Sect disciples drool with desire. Whether it was participating in the Wan Hen Sect’s external missions to preferentially obtain natural treasures from various secret realms in the cultivation world, or fully enjoying the sect’s precious cultivation resources, both were enough to make anyone pay any price. But throughout history, disciples who obtained this honor were very few. This trial of the heart could only be passed by those with great perseverance and determination.
The butterfly demon listened and raised an eyebrow. “This demon guesses you also came for this command flag. It’s not so easy to get. Those with insufficient strength might lose their lives if they enter dangerous secret realms. This command flag of the Wan Hen Sect isn’t meant for sending disciples to their deaths. If you want this flag, first prove you have the ability to protect yourself.”
With that, it waved its hand, and Lin Wuxi found herself in a mountain forest. The butterfly demon’s voice faintly reached her ears: “Hold on for a quarter of an hour. No matter what method you use, if you can still stand after that, you pass.”
As soon as the voice faded, Lin Wuxi circulated her energy to regulate her breath, only to find her magical power was almost completely sealed. Ignoring her surprise, she quickly scanned her surroundings. Trees grew thickly, and vegetation was dense; she was definitely in a forest. Observing the plant species, she found none imbued with spiritual energy. It seemed the Wan Hen Sect had merely sealed her magical power and thrown her into a dangerous place in the mortal realm. With her power sealed, her situation in a secret realm would likely be no better than this. This must be it, she thought, the Wan Hen Sect is testing whether I can protect myself in dangerous conditions.
Searching the ground carefully, she found them—footprints of a large carnivore. Lin Wuxi crouched to examine them. They were thick and wide, alarming to behold. Bear tracks!
If it were the Lin Wuxi of the past, dealing with a hundred ordinary forest bears would be no problem. But now, without her magical power, she was only slightly stronger than an ordinary person. Against even one bear, she could only flee, and there was definitely more than one here!
Before Lin Wuxi could react, rustling sounds came from the nearby bushes. She turned to see a stout black bear parting the foliage, coming face to face with her. The black bear paused for a moment upon seeing her, then slammed a huge paw on the ground, roared, bared its sharp fangs, and charged.
As the bear, over two meters tall, pounced, Lin Wuxi’s vision darkened; it felt as if the creature blocked half the light. How could she dare to stay? She turned and fled. But the black bear wouldn’t give up, roaring as it chased her.
Luckily, Lin Wuxi was agile. Using the trees for cover, she narrowly avoided the black bear’s huge paws each time. But before she could catch her breath, another huge roar came from her left. Lin Wuxi turned—another black bear! She was so startled she almost stumbled. One is bad enough, but two? They really want my life!
Though she was screaming internally, Lin Wuxi’s movements didn’t falter. She rolled right, dodging the second bear’s paw. But the first bear’s swipe was already upon her. She leaned back but was still grazed by its claws. Her robes tore, and bloody gashes appeared on her fair skin. Cursing inwardly, Lin Wuxi endured the stinging pain in her back and ran for her life without looking back.
Gritting her teeth, Lin Wuxi fumbled in her pocket, pulled out a Speed Talisman, and slapped it onto her leg without a second thought for its value. Her speed instantly increased. Dodging and weaving, she gradually pulled away from the two bears.
Only when she was far away did Lin Wuxi dare to catch her breath. The wounds on her back split open again from the exertion. With her magical power sealed, they couldn’t self-heal. The bleeding wouldn’t stop; fresh blood trickled down the elegant curve of her spine, leaving crimson trails on her fair skin.
But Lin Wuxi couldn’t spare a thought for staunching the blood. She closed her eyes, listening intently to her surroundings. A gentle breeze rustled, brushing a few stray strands of hair across her cheek. Ignoring her tattered clothes, it was almost a peaceful scene.
But this tranquility didn’t last. As Lin Wuxi slapped another Speed Talisman on herself and sprinted towards a nearby large tree, the superficial peace was shattered.
