Mythical Cultivation

After climbing over a hundred steps, Wu Ming surpassed many more cultivators. The number of cultivators ahead of him continued to decrease, now less than three hundred. However, there was still no hope of reaching the summit. However, his climbing pace slowed down. Now, each stone step took him nearly a hundred breaths before he could move on to the next one.

Wu Ming could already feel the exhaustion in his vital essence, body, and spirit. This wasn't just simple exhaustion. The triple torture of body, vital essence, and spirit was too much for him to bear. His body began to tremble, sweat poured down, and his face turned pale. But he gritted his teeth and continued to climb the stone steps.

But this torture is not so simple, it not only makes you feel physically exhausted, full of aches from head to toe, from the outside to the inside, but also makes your heart shrouded in all kinds of negative emotions: "Forget it", "Give up", "You are already very good". "No one can get here with the cultivation level of the seventh level of Qi Refining. You have surpassed 99% of the cultivators in the world, you should be content". "You know very well in your heart that it was impossible for you to reach the top. The previous efforts were just that you were unwilling to face the cruelty of reality and wanted to pursue your dreams. Now that the goal has been achieved, you can let go". "Although dreams are beautiful, reality is cruel."

These voices seemed to echo in his ears, telling him not to go any further. Various thoughts constantly surged through Wu Ming's mind, hindering his desire to climb upwards and even making him consider turning back down the mountain. Consequently, his footsteps had remained stationary for a long time, a full cup of tea without moving.

Just as he was feeling despair and pain, a powerful and pure true energy suddenly surged into his body. This true energy was like a clear spring, instantly washing away the fatigue and pain in his body, making him feel relaxed and relieved.

With the infusion of true essence, his cultivation base also greatly improved. Originally in the middle stage of the seventh level of Qi Refining, he suddenly broke through to the late seventh level of Qi Refining, just one step away from the eighth level. This improvement in cultivation not only made him more powerful, but also made his state of mind more stable and resolute.

Under the influence of his True Energy, the negative emotions in his mind gradually dissipated, replaced by a sense of calm and clarity. He realized that he had just fallen into a state of madness, controlled by inner fear and pressure. But now, he had finally freed himself from that state and found himself again.

For cultivators in the Qi Refining stage, inner demons weren't a concern. They typically only appeared in higher-level cultivators, such as those who had broken through from the Qi Refining stage to the Foundation Establishment stage. Therefore, for a cultivator like him, his inner demons were at most a mental insanity—a mild case of split personality in modern terms—and posed no significant threat.

Despite this, the experience served as a wake-up call for him. He understood that the path of cultivation was fraught with challenges and difficulties, and that he must remain vigilant and calm at all times. At the same time, he must continue to strive to cultivate, improving his strength and state of mind to cope with the various crises he might encounter in the future.

And just now, that powerful true essence was exactly the effect brought by the Kongming Pearl! This mysterious pearl has been silently purifying Wu Ming's true essence, while constantly absorbing the vital energy between heaven and earth and transforming it into purer true essence.

However, since embarking on the path of spiritual cultivation, the rate at which the Kongming Pearl absorbed and released vital energy has noticeably slowed. Initially, Wu Ming, preoccupied with reaching the summit, dismissed this issue as simply a matter of vital energy scarcity. But now, in retrospect, it seems more complex than that; it seems there are other mysteries hidden within.

This breakthrough not only brought him back from his trance, but more importantly, it alleviated the immense pressure he'd endured while climbing. While he could still feel the heavy pressure, he could at least move slowly. So, Wu Ming took another step and continued his ascent toward the summit.

Just as the negative emotions in his heart expressed, although he knew that he could not reach the top, he still wanted to give it a try, pursue his dream, and see where his limits were and how big the gap was between him and other cultivators in the Qi Refining realm.

In reality, ninety-nine percent of cultivators are unaware that the demonic obsession within their hearts is actually part of the Heart Refining Path. Since it's called the Heart Refining Path, it's naturally about honing the inner self, not just testing one's cultivation. If it were that simple, they could simply have everyone compete, and then select the top few cultivators to become outer disciples.

As the overlord of a state, Shenmu Sect's selection of disciples was certainly not as simple as simply looking at talent. They needed disciples who were all-around excellent. Even if a person was gifted, if their heart wasn't strong enough and their character wasn't tough enough, they wouldn't be able to become their disciples.

Therefore, every time the Shenmu Sect recruited disciples, almost all of the cultivators who could become outer disciples were cultivators at the Foundation Establishment stage, and they had to be under a hundred years old. This eliminated the majority of cultivators. After all, who among the cultivators who could reach the Foundation Establishment stage under a hundred years old was not a genius? The remaining cultivators would be eliminated or become reserve disciples.

In this way, Shenmu Sect can ensure that its outer disciples are the elite among the elites, and can quickly grow into inner disciples or even core disciples, bringing greater benefits and honor to the sect.

A cultivator who could become an outer disciple at the Qi Refining stage was one in a million, possessing exceptional talent, aptitude, and character. Such a cultivator didn't appear in every class, and each appearance meant at least one more core disciple. Such a prodigy was a rare find.

Therefore, among the thousands of cultivators who embarked on the Heart Refining Path this time, if even one person could successfully reach the summit, it would be a very lucky thing. This meant that as long as this cultivator did not die halfway through his cultivation, he would have the possibility of reaching the realm of the former core disciples of the Shenmu Sect in the future.

If those monks of the Shenmu Sect who had passed away for thousands of years knew this news in the underground, they would definitely feel extremely relieved, because this meant that their sect finally had new hope after thousands of years and could continue to be passed down.

However, it is regrettable that there are very few monks who know these inside stories. Everyone only wants to reach the top and get the greatest opportunity.

But then again, not knowing these inside stories wasn't necessarily a bad thing; at least it gave everyone a goal and motivation to strive for. If they truly knew this, I'm afraid that among the thousands of monks currently striving to climb, at least half would give up immediately.