Mythical Cultivation

"And, in most cases, only those monks with low cultivation will choose to set foot on those two paths here. After all, they have exhausted all their skills and efforts to reach this place! Want to continue moving forward? Hehe, that's almost a pipe dream, you can't go far at all! Did you see that, many monks are now turning back from the stone steps in front." Huang Hao said.

After hearing what Huang Hao said, Wu Ming and others noticed that on the stone steps leading to higher levels, except for many monks who were still climbing up with unremitting efforts, there were indeed very few people returning to the square from the stone steps.

"It's not that exaggerated. It's just a stone staircase. How difficult can it be? If I run out of physical strength, I still have my true energy to use." Zhao Xiaohai muttered to himself with a suspicious look on his face.

You have to know that they all reached this point by relying solely on the might of their own flesh and blood, without even using a single ounce of their True Essence. In his mind, wouldn't it be a piece of cake if he just used his True Essence to help him climb?

"You haven't used your true energy to climb, so you don't know yet. I've heard them discuss that once you use your true energy, the pressure you face will increase exponentially, and it will be harder to climb as you go on. And for cultivators in the early and middle stages of Qi Refining, being able to get here is already relying on their true energy. Without the true energy, cultivators in the middle stage of Qi Refining will be fine, but cultivators in the early stage of Qi Refining will not be able to get here at all, so they will go to the side to look for some opportunities." Huang Hao continued.

"It's still possible. Fortunately, we all climbed up relying on our physical strength. Fortunately, we didn't use our true energy, otherwise we would have missed this great opportunity." Wu Ming also spoke after hearing Huang Hao's words.

"What if the physical body can't hold on anymore?" Wu Ming continued to ask.

"If you can't hold on any longer, of course you should use your True Essence. I'm not telling you not to use your True Essence, but the later you use it, the better. That way it aligns with the purpose of this Heart Refining Path. It's also said that a journey on the Heart Refining Path is also an opportunity, so even if you don't gain much, you still have to persevere to the end. The higher you climb, the better. You'll feel it when you get out."

"Also, the square above each section of stone steps has its benefits. There are formations on it that can help people recover quickly, even recovering from hidden injuries. You'll feel it when you rest later." Huang Hao lowered his voice, speaking to them in a voice only a few people could hear. This was the news revealed by Elder Ding. Huang Hao was worried that they wouldn't be able to hold on, so he secretly told them.

Seeing Huang Hao speaking so cautiously, Wu Ming and the others knew that this should be a very confidential piece of information. They didn't expect Huang Hao to know it, so they didn't dare to make loud noises for fear of being heard by others.

"Okay, I've rested enough and am ready to continue climbing. You guys keep going too, and we'll see you at the top," Huang Hao encouraged. He turned and prepared to head down the next stone staircase. He hadn't said anything, however. The only cultivators who reached the top of Shenmu Sect's Heart Refining Path were in the Foundation Establishment stage. Only a handful of Qi Refining cultivators could reach the top, and they were often exceptional within that realm. He hadn't said it, simply to avoid undermining their confidence.

"Then you should go quickly and try to reach the top. We think it will be a little difficult to reach the top. Let's see how far we can reach in the end." Wu Ming said with some regret. After listening to Huang Hao's words, he also knew that this road of refining the mind was not that simple. It would be difficult for them to reach the top.

"Huang Hao, keep going! We'll catch up and see you at the top," Zhao Xiaohai said. Although he knew the road ahead was difficult, he was still full of fighting spirit and didn't want to give up easily.

Watching Huang Hao's receding figure, the three of them felt a surge of fighting spirit. They knew the road ahead might be thorny, but as long as they had unwavering faith and unremitting efforts, they would surely be able to break through themselves and reach the top.

The four of them also sat cross-legged in the square to rest. As expected, after carefully observing themselves, they discovered that there was indeed something mysterious here. In less than a cup of tea, their bodies were completely recovered.

Even the injuries that had not yet fully recovered from the previous battle were completely recovered at this time. Only then did several people realize that what Huang Hao said was indeed correct, and they didn't know how Huang Hao knew so much.

Wu Ming even suspected Huang Hao was the chosen one. After all, Huang Hao always knew secrets that no one else knew. He wondered if Huang Hao was a reincarnated cultivator, or perhaps possessed a golden finger like his grandfather's. But he had no evidence, and everyone had their own secrets, not just his own. Furthermore, given their connections, he couldn't possibly delve too deeply.

After a good rest, they took a deep breath, adjusted their mindsets, and once again embarked on the journey of cultivating their hearts. Although each step seemed particularly heavy and their clothes were soaked with sweat, their eyes became more determined.

As they stepped onto the second set of stone steps, Wu Ming and the other three immediately felt a heavy pressure, as if they were carrying a hundred-pound weight. This pressure made each step extremely difficult, requiring them to carefully steady their steps before taking the next one. Compared to the previous steps, they no longer had the energy to discuss while walking.

Several people looked up at the distant stone steps and found that the crowd was no longer as dense as before. There were only a few hundred monks ahead of them, and the gaps between them were not large, only two or three hundred steps at most. In addition, many monks were walking down, obviously unable to bear the pressure and had to give up.

Looking at Huang Hao again, he was only less than a hundred stone steps ahead of them. Unlike before, this time they could clearly see Huang Hao's figure. This indicated that the second stage of the stone steps was extremely difficult, bringing everyone back to almost the same starting point.

As time went by, Wu Ming and his companions successfully climbed hundreds of steps, but they still felt immense pressure, each step filled with challenges. Unlike the first time they had climbed the second step, Wu Ming was already feeling the strain. Each step required considerable effort, leaving him feeling sore and weak all over. Even now, each step took more than ten breaths to reach the top.

"Wu Ming, Zhao Xiaohai, Mei Lingshuang, I can't hold on any longer. I don't know how long this stone staircase is. I want to see if I can reach the top. Now I'm ready to use my true energy." Hou Tiancheng, who was behind Wu Ming and Mei Lingshuang, suddenly said.

When the climbers heard Hou Tiancheng's words, they turned around and looked at him. He was sweating profusely and his face was full of fatigue. Considering his own situation, they knew that he had reached his limit and stopped trying to persuade him.