Chapter 172: Forty Years at the Pit Bottom

The bottom of the massive pit.

Within the deep, long cavern.

Xiao Yu sat cross‑legged for two years, and finally fully adapted to the demonic aura density; his body and his soul's will were greatly strengthened.

In those two years, Xiao Yu fused six divine crystals—three time crystals and three space crystals—raising his compatibility with the Space‑Time Origin by 1.5 times and greatly accelerating his comprehension speed.

During those two years, via his resident split soul in the Virtual Universe, Xiao Yu learned that Luo Feng had entered the Blood Luo World for a cultivation task, just passed the seventh layer of Sky Bridge; subsequently Bo Lan surprisingly cleared the eighth layer, and Hong likewise successively passed the sixth layer.

Luo Feng ventured into the Illusion Sea, remaining on the ninth layer; the tenth layer has not yet been cleared.

"The second great realm is the union of yin and yang, the unity of heaven and man."

After standing, Xiao Yu continued onward to the 200‑kilometre mark, where the demonic aura density reached three hundred times.

"Second brother, in the realm of heart cultivation I am inferior to you; I cannot see through it either, so let us keep pushing the limits—at least it improves," Luo Feng laughed, noting that he himself had long dwelled in the primordial secret realm's Blood Luo World ancient‑god ruins, bearing decades of demonic aura.

"Lei Shen, you are currently in the second realm, and I happened upon the threshold of the third great realm by chance," Hong said.

"Pfft!"

The company only limits the maximum number of cultivation tasks of each level that can be undertaken during each qualification battle.

Xiao Yu rose, kept digging forward until only five hundred kilometres remained, then stopped; the demonic aura here was no longer misty but thick as liquid.

"The Star Time God is currently absent; how shall we arrange things?" asked a blue‑robed three‑eyed divine spirit.

"The Star Time God is merely meditating against a wall for fifty thousand years, not forever; we must still obey his command," the white‑robed three‑eyed divine spirit said, glancing at the assembly. "However we need not mobilize hundreds of thousands; now that we have precise locations, a small squad per site suffices."

Three hundred sixty stars form a rotating celestial network; each star differs greatly yet shares commonalities.

……

"Second brother, I know the three realms of heart cultivation; the key is self‑transformation. Where a person walks, the mind follows, depending on one's insight," Xiao Yu said with a smile.

"Third, fourth, your mindsets are pushing ever farther to the limit," Lei Shen chuckled, shaking his head.

Hong drained his cup in one gulp, "Hmm, that's my thought too; I'll first seize a difficult‑level cultivation task, Dream Spring Island."

"In the past ten thousand years, not a single exception has occurred," a gray‑robed three‑eyed divine spirit said.

"Yes, Great Time God," the Star Time God rose from the massive throne, addressing the spirits within the hall: "Deploy guards to hold these three positions…"

Xiao Yu and Luo Feng simply sat there, the demonic aura enveloping them, faintly forming an aura within the Virtual Universe.

Five more years passed before Xiao Yu finally adapted to the local demonic aura density; now he feels himself tinged with it.

"The first great realm is to illuminate the heart and see one's true self."

……

The World Tree has grown to Domain Lord Level Ninth Tier; the Small World within its body, thanks to the World Tree, now spans five hundred thousand kilometres in diameter, its energy becoming denser.

In these five years, Xiao Yu finally completed the fusion of the eighth divine crystal—four time crystals and four space crystals—raising his compatibility with the Space‑Time Origin to twice its former level.

Xiao Yu glanced at Hong and Lei Shen, pondering slightly.

After disconnecting from the Heavy Treasure, the Star Time God spat a mouthful of fresh blood, his face flushed, and exclaimed excitedly, "I already know where Xiao Yu is."

"Heart—what is the heart? From a cultivator's view, the heart is essentially will," Hong smiled. "Luo Feng and Xiao Yu's strength of will are anomalies, yet overall, in the grand scheme, you are still only at the first stage of the three great realms of heart cultivation."

"Elder brother, I suggest you first take a relatively low‑risk familiar cultivation task before attempting an inevitably difficult or hazardous one," Xiao Yu whispered.

In the Virtual Universe, near the lake of Nine‑Star Bay on Heilongshan Island, Xiao Yu, Hong, Luo Feng, and Lei Shen sat together.

In fact, the Virtual Universe Company does not mandate whether core members partake; during Universe-level periods, one may either cultivate peacefully or venture into various secret cultivation realms for trials.

"Ha ha, I finally found you again!" the Star Time God roared with laughter.

Xiao Yu advanced another hundred kilometres, the demonic aura density rising to twenty‑five times, slightly above expectations, and he continued adapting.

"Elder brother, how can we reach the third rank realm?" Luo Feng glared.

"May we still gather together after ten million years," Hong raised his cup, laughing.

Within the internal world, the World Tree has absorbed massive Universe Primordial Energy, its strength now at Domain Lord Level Sixth Tier.

"The third great realm is a boundless heart that embraces all heaven and earth."

"Good luck," Xiao Yu also raised his cup.

"Ha ha, I guess I'll become Lord of the Universe too!" Luo Feng said confidently.

Hundreds of divine spirits each sat upon massive thrones.

Each star is composed of Space‑Time essence; only the mode of combination differs, yet they belong to the same system.

The temple shrouded by fluctuations of the Time Origin.

Before the words finished, the person vanished.

"I wonder how we'll be then," Luo Feng mused.

In these ten years, Xiao Yu successfully fused the ninth time crystal, but failed three times when attempting to fuse the tenth divine crystal.

Xiao Yu lingered at the 500‑kilometre point for ten years before finally adapting to the local demonic aura.

"Oh?" Luo Feng's eyes brightened.

For twenty years, cultivation of the Primordial Soul secret method has progressed slowly.

"Ha ha, I guess by then I'll also be Lord of the Universe!" Xiao Yu laughed.

Traveling across the entire Viska Star, they finally located Xiao Yu's trail.

Hong's cultivation talent is superb, not only in grasping principles but also in clearing ten layers of the Illusion Sea; that was all, and had he not been specifically warned that Earth is complicated and not to push too hard lest others notice, Hong could certainly clear twenty layers in one go.

The bottom of the massive pit.

"Elder brother, good luck," Luo Feng raised his cup.

The demonic aura density and Space‑Time Origin intensity both reached at least one hundred thirty times.

"Third, fourth, you have all begun cultivation tasks; as elder brother I cannot lag behind," Hong whispered.

Dream Spring Island lies within an Apocalypse Secret Realm; it has no natives, only a few ferocious beasts, the strongest of which are merely Realm Lord Level, making the danger low.

Historically, none of the princes who arrived on Viska Star from the Virtual Universe Company have stayed longer than five years.

"Not bad, cultivating the heart is completely different from other cultivations; it's a transcendence on the level of the spiritual realm," Hong smiled, "Today I'll clearly explain the divisions of the heart‑cultivation realms."

Inside a massive hall.

"Ha ha, bragging costs nothing; if I can become a Venerable Rank, I'll burn incense." Hong laughed.

The three drank together.

……

Dreamspring Island is called an island, but it's actually larger than an ordinary planet; even Jupiter looks like a tiny speck before it.

His mental cultivation is too high; even a Venerable Rank illusion cannot affect him.

The fourth star diagram of the Universe Chaos Stele has been fully comprehended; now he begins to contemplate the fifth star‑network diagram, where 360 stars form a massive, complex celestial network.

In the Virtual Universe, the Soul Split has fully comprehended the first four volumes of "Universe True Explanation."

He wishes to contemplate the fifth layer, but there are no points to purchase it; moreover, Xiao Yu currently does not intend to venture onto the Sky Bridge. The present plan is to contemplate the Primordial Soul secret technique.

"It's hard to explain; reading some books and experiencing certain events can bring insight. I recommend a method: read some ancient Chinese texts; they might help you," Hong said with a smile. "As Lao San said, heart cultivation relies on one's own enlightenment; it's different from learning knowledge—just because you have learned or know something doesn't mean your state has reached it."

In a private room on the second floor of the Wutong Water Pavilion, Hong, Xiao Yu, and Luo Feng gathered, sipping drinks of various flavors and chatting about their recent circumstances.

"Star! You have violated the clan rules twice, illicitly used a Heavy Treasure, causing damage to your Divine Body. You are sentenced to the Divine Prison, to wall yourself for fifty thousand years, forbidden to go out." A voice resonated through the great hall, shaking in every deity's ear.

But the master of this temple, the Time God of Star, does not approve; he, despite his injuries, reactivates the temple's Heavy Treasure, and his soul enters the past broken currents of the temporal river.

Like members of the Primordial Secret Realm, they can only take ten missions every hundred years.

Three years later, Xiao Yu rose and continued onward; this time he advanced one hundred fifty kilometers, and the hostile energy concentration rose to fifty times.

Virtual Universe, Rain‑Phase Mountain, public area.

This statement received the approval of many deities in the great hall.

"It's been twenty years; we've mobilized nearly four hundred thousand troops just to find a Lingxiao‑level youngster. The key hasn't been found; not only have we not found it, we haven't uncovered any clue at all," said a powerful white‑robed three‑eyed deity. "Based on the experience of the Out‑of‑Domain Heavenly Demon Virtual Universe Company, they usually stay on our Viscar Star at most one or two years, never more than five; they either perish or return."

Blood‑red liquid hostile energy continuously assaults the soul.

Xiao Yu sat cross‑legged, continuously adapting to the hostile energy here for a full twenty years.

(End of chapter)