Over these three years, Lin Xuan had suffered no small amount from damaged meridians. Each time he had to recover from injuries, it consumed a long period of time. As an ordinary person without spiritual roots, even desperately striving made it difficult to keep up with his fellow disciples’ pace—where could he find time to waste?

Lin Xuan carefully controlled the speed of his spiritual energy circulation. Fortunately, through constant attempts, he had become quite familiar with his meridians’ tolerance limits.

An hour later, having completed the cycle, the spiritual energy returned from his meridians back to his dantian.

Using his internal viewing technique to check, a trace of gloom flashed through Lin Xuan’s eyes. He had already worked this hard, yet his cultivation still hadn’t changed. Logically speaking, completing one Great Heavenly Cycle should increase his spiritual power at least a little.

It seemed he had no choice but to go to the Heart Tempering Path. Lin Xuan gritted his teeth.

The Heart Tempering Path was a special location within Drifting Cloud Valley. Three thousand years ago, it had been discovered by chance by the sect’s founder. After investigation, it was confirmed to be ruins left behind by ancient cultivators.

It was a wondrous place. As soon as one entered, they would be enveloped by illusions—one moment finding themselves in mountains of blades and seas of fire, the next moment falling into the eighteen levels of hell. Although the illusions couldn’t cause true harm, they were unbearably tormenting. However, the benefits were also obvious.

Though the Heart Tempering Path was terrifying, the noodles spiritual energy inside was extremely abundant. Cultivating there could produce twice the results with half the effort.

Moreover, the Heart Tempering Path was freely open to disciples of the sect. Unfortunately, aside from experts at Foundation Establishment or above, low-rank disciples at the Spirit Stirring stage simply didn’t dare attempt it. With their level of cultivation, their dao hearts were unstable and couldn’t withstand the assault of the illusions.

But now Lin Xuan had no other path to walk. Either remain stuck at his bottleneck, or go to the Heart Tempering Path to seek a breakthrough. He chose the latter.

Pushing open the heavy stone door, Lin Xuan walked out from the cultivation room. The sky had already turned completely dark, stars blinking weakly. However, Lin Xuan had no intention of resting—he headed toward the Heart Tempering Path.

At the rear mountain of Drifting Cloud Valley, a diagonal passage in the stone wall descended to unfathomable depths. This was the Heart Tempering Path. Standing at the entrance, Lin Xuan took a deep breath and walked in.

The first hundred meters had no illusions, and the concentration of heaven and earth spiritual energy was exactly the same as outside. But Lin Xuan didn’t dare be careless in the slightest. Though this was his first time coming here, he had heard plenty about the terrors of the Heart Tempering Path in his daily life.

After walking a few more steps, the situation suddenly changed. The surrounding heaven and earth spiritual energy became denser. This place was indeed suitable for cultivation.

Lin Xuan’s expression became solemn. He carefully surveyed his surroundings before cautiously sitting down cross-legged.

Boom!

Flames over ten feet high suddenly erupted from the ground, and the surrounding temperature sharply increased…

A terrifying scene appeared. Lin Xuan’s brow twitched slightly, but he didn’t panic. He regarded it as if it didn’t exist and continued single-mindedly absorbing the surrounding spiritual energy. Everything that occurred in the Heart Tempering Path was all illusion—there was no need to pay attention to it.

However, even knowing it was false, the sensation felt just like the real thing. Soon those flames raised the ambient temperature to an unbearable degree. Large drops of sweat dripped from Lin Xuan’s face.

Hearsay was indeed completely different from personal experience. Previously, Lin Xuan had only heard Foundation Establishment experts discuss the Heart Tempering Path—he hadn’t expected it to be even more terrifying than legend.

Soon the flames reached his body. With his Spirit Stirring first layer cultivation, he still couldn’t release a protective barrier and could only grit his teeth and endure.

While forcibly bearing the agony of being burned by fierce flames, he still had to concentrate his spirit to absorb heaven and earth spiritual energy. The suffering involved was difficult for ordinary people to imagine. However, Lin Xuan, relying on his tenacious willpower, forcibly held on.

The flames licked at his skin. Lin Xuan’s teeth ground together with audible crunching sounds. The pain eventually became numbness, though the spiritual energy here was indeed abundant—the absorption speed was several times that of outside.

Though it was an illusion, the sensation was like true purgatory, tempering ​stolen content​Lin Xuan’s willpower.

Absorbing spiritual energy into the body was merely the first step. Next, he still had to refine it according to the secret methods taught by his sect. There would be much loss in this process. Usually, absorbing hundreds of milliliters of spiritual energy would ultimately only refine into spiritual power the size of a strand of hair.

Then he had to circulate the obtained spiritual power through the Eight Extraordinary Meridians before finally storing it in his dantian.

Even for someone with resilient mental fortitude, completing this entire process within fierce flames was impossible. Lin Xuan persisted for five minutes before his endurance reached its limit. He stood up and ran out at maximum speed. When he left the area abundant with spiritual energy, the blazing fire illusion also disappeared.

“As expected, just like the legends said.” Lin Xuan examined his whole body—not a single trace of injury. Yet the agony of being scorched by fierce flames moments ago remained fresh in his memory.

Though uncomfortable, it was also worthwhile. Because the spiritual power here was not only highly concentrated but also extremely pure. Cultivating here could produce twice the results with half the effort. His hope of breaking through the bottleneck had greatly increased.

After resting a while, Lin Xuan walked forward again. The flames appeared once more. Enduring the pain of being burned, he continued absorbing spiritual energy.

When his endurance reached its limit, he would run out to rest for a bit. After his physical strength recovered, he would step back into the blazing fire illusion.

Just like this, cycling repeatedly, [Read on Jormuntl]Lin Xuan relied on his willpower to diligently cultivate in the Heart Tempering Path.

…

Several days passed, and his spiritual power finally showed some progress. Though compared to what he had invested, the gains remained meager, it was much faster than cultivating outside.

At this speed, as long as he persisted, he should be able to enter the Spirit Stirring second layer.

Silently calculating his cultivation progress, Lin Xuan stood up. He had already stayed in the Heart Tempering Path for four days—he should go out to take a look. First, after these days without rest or sleep, cultivating in fierce flames, his body had reached its limit. Second, today was the time when the teaching seat transmitted cultivation techniques.

According to Drifting Cloud Valley’s rules, every four days, a Foundation Establishment expert would preach to Spirit Stirring disciples. Receiving guidance from an expert meant cultivation could avoid many detours. Lin Xuan naturally wouldn’t miss such an opportunity.

Following the passage, Lin Xuan came outside. Unlike when he arrived, he happened to encounter a Foundation Establishment cultivator.

“Master Uncle!”

“You…” That person looked Lin Xuan over, his face full of surprise. [stolen content]“You went to the Heart Tempering Path?”

“Yes, Master Uncle.”

After the two parted ways, that Foundation Establishment cultivator was still somewhat dazed. Although the illusions couldn’t cause true harm, the sensations were exactly the same as reality. A disciple at early Spirit Stirring could actually endure it—this child’s willpower was truly astonishing.

Cultivation required not only spiritual roots but also mental resilience. This disciple called Lin Xuan truly warranted a second look!