Chapter 2: Crossing Again

Cultivation is lonely; most of the time, every cultivator trains alone in their cave dwelling. Those who cannot endure loneliness cannot cultivate.

Over the past three years, Wang Ping has gradually grown accustomed to this loneliness.

Azure Bamboo Peak lies at the edge of the Azure Moon Sect; on the mountain, azure bamboo grows straight and tall, the scenery is beautiful, but the spiritual energy is thin, and few people usually come here.

His daily task is to sit in meditation, cultivate, and breathe; afterward, he tends to the spiritual herbs and medicines in his spiritual field.

Although the opportunity to cultivate in his cave dwelling has been repeatedly delayed, his daily tasks cannot be neglected.

Upon completing tasks, the earned merit can not only be exchanged for cave dwelling cultivation opportunities; after reaching the mid-stage, spells, talismans, spirit stones, magical tools, and pills can all be exchanged.

Without entering the mid-stage of Qi Refining, spirit stones cannot be drawn upon, spells cannot be cast freely, and magical tools cannot be used.

Only after reaching the mid-stage of Qi Refining can one leave the sect gate to undertake tasks.

The merit earned that way is far greater than what Wang Ping and the others gain by tending medicinal herbs within the sect.

Only upon reaching the mid-stage of Qi Refining does the sect pay attention; Wang Ping, while practicing the Azure Wood Longevity Technique in the spiritual field behind his residence, also pondered silently.

At his current speed, with the bonus from his spirit vein, the original rate of condensing one strand of spiritual power per month is now only able to produce 1.2 strands.

At this speed, he will definitely not reach the mid-stage of Qi Refining in two years; even if he enters a first-class cultivation cave in the outer sect, he cannot match the medium-grade spiritual root's ability to condense two strands per month.

This refers to the situation without any cultivation assistance.

If the cave dwelling's bonus is added, this speed will be faster.

It is said that a high-grade spiritual root can condense four strands of spiritual power per month without any assistance, and in just twenty-nine years one can cultivate to the late-stage great completion realm of 1,398 strands of spiritual power.

Reaching the great completion of the early stage of Qi Refining takes only a little over two years.

Whenever he thinks of this, Wang Ping feels only envy.

Why does the sect gate value talent most when recruiting disciples? The reason is this: a medium-grade spiritual root, through blessed lands, medicinal pills, and spirit stone supplies, can possibly reach great completion before the age of sixty.

Then, using this to impact the Foundation Establishment stage, the Azure Moon Sect, which has been passed down for three thousand years, indeed has many medium-grade spiritual root cultivators who have broken through to Foundation Establishment.

As for low-grade spiritual root cultivators, since the founding of the Zhao State, only one cultivator has been recorded as breaking through to Foundation Establishment.

Therefore, low-grade spiritual root cultivators receive no regard in the sect.

……………

Cultivators' time passes quickly; in the blink of an eye, three days have already gone by.

Wang Ping's cave dwelling cultivation opportunity still hasn't come up, but he currently has no time to worry about that.

At this moment he is in a hidden cave on the mountain; this cave he discovered by chance is very concealed.

Pa! Pa! Pa!

Wang Ping clapped his hands, nodded in satisfaction, then, feeling uneasy, checked again before turning and walking toward the cave entrance.

Behind him, the cave entrance, originally more than two persons wide and over one person tall, has been blocked by him.

He is so cautious because the energy bar is about to fill; the previously unmoving energy bar gave him a hint this morning: 'Energy is about to fill.'

Although he does not know what will happen after the energy bar fills, it's better to be safe; he not only came to this hidden cave but also sealed it.

Suppressing his excited feelings, Wang Ping walked to the depths of the cave.

In the depths of the cave, someone should have previously cultivated here; there is a stone bed and a stone table.

It is not large, about fifty square feet, but the lighting is ample and the ventilation good.

Being inside, it does not have the usual cramped, damp feeling of a cave.

Upon the stone bed, Wang Ping sat cross-legged and eagerly probed his consciousness into the depths of his mind.

In the empty depths of his mind, a one‑foot‑long energy lattice at this moment emits a dazzling silver light.

Moreover, this light grows increasingly brilliant; before long, Wang Ping's mind is completely occupied by the silver light.

Whoosh!

The energy bar suddenly vanished; Wang Ping's heart jumped and his eyes opened.

Next, he saw that the originally strip‑shaped energy bar was now spinning at high speed, its speed increasing.

Gradually, the energy bar slowly disappeared, and before him formed a silver vortex with a diameter of three meters.

Although the silver vortex is clearly spinning at high speed, it gives a feeling of great tranquility.

Apart from the entire cave being coated with a layer of silver light, nothing else changed.

Wang Ping hesitated for a moment, but ultimately stepped into the vortex.

After his body fully entered the vortex, the silver vortex rotated counter‑clockwise and gradually shrank.

It finally disappeared without a trace, as if it had never existed.

Inside the vortex, before Wang Ping appeared a silver light path, not long; he could see that at its end stood a silver gate.

Having already entered, Wang Ping set aside all thoughts and strode forward calmly.

Upon arriving before the light gate, he discovered that its surface was covered with dense pictures; the pictures bore countless red dots like stars, and around each red dot were unfamiliar silver tadpole‑like symbols.

Driven by curiosity, Wang Ping involuntarily reached out and tapped one of the red dots.

The next second, a mechanical voice sounded in his mind: 'Map selected, Spirit Realm Azure Mountain Region, Heavenly Azure Mountain Range, transmission begins.'

Before Wang Ping could regain his composure, the silver light gate flung open, a strong suction surged forth, and he was already drawn into the silver light gate.

Spirit Realm!

Since ancient times, the Spirit Realm has been the lifelong goal of cultivators from the lower realm; it is said that the Spirit Realm is boundlessly vast, and the heavenly and earthly spiritual energy is terrifyingly dense.

Even in the places where spiritual energy is most barren, the concentration equals that of a fourth‑grade spirit vein in the lower realm.

A fourth‑grade spirit vein is used for cultivation by a Nascent Soul True Lord.

Even the lowest‑grade spiritual root, when placed in a fourth‑grade spirit vein, can condense sixteen strands of spiritual power per month—just like a heavenly spiritual root—and even more.

Besides this, endless spiritual medicines, herbs, ore veins, and incessant astonishing techniques all inspire longing.

No one in the lower realm knows how many cultivators aspire to ascend to the Spirit Realm, but alas, every person who ascends to the Spirit Realm must undergo the Spirit Realm's heavenly tribulation baptism.

Under the heavenly tribulation, even a Void God Elder might not withstand it; yet now, a cultivator merely at the early stage of Qi Refining has sneaked into the Spirit Realm that everyone longs for.

Spirit Realm, Green Mountain Domain, Azure Mountain Range!

Among an inconspicuous small mountain peak, a silver-colored light point suddenly appeared, then quickly expanded, forming a silver vortex three meters in diameter.

In the next second, a young man clad in gray walked out from the mysterious vortex.

After the youth stepped out, the silver vortex behind him quickly disappeared.

This youth naturally was Wang Ping, who had sneaked over from the Zhao Kingdom's cultivation realm.

He was blankly gazing at this heaven and earth.

Is this the Spirit Realm?

Feeling the thick, pure spiritual energy between heaven and earth, just inhaling a breath caused his internal spiritual energy to circulate rapidly; a wisp of spiritual energy that originally would have taken more than ten days to condense now condensed at a speed visible to the naked eye.