Born with immortal seed

Chapter 83 Mindset First
"Like reality, like illusion, like a dream, is this the power of a magic weapon... Fortunately, it is only used for the mental training of sect disciples, otherwise, Qi Refining cultivators would be trapped and die."

Bai Zichen was momentarily dazed, unable to distinguish between reality and illusion.

He seemed to have truly experienced all of that, getting injured and falling to rock bottom, only to be forced to start all over again amidst cold stares and ridicule, still bearing the title of former genius.

Finally, risking his life, he begged the heavens for that sliver of a chance, defying death in the face of the impossible, and successfully established his foundation.

Although the entire cultivation process and foundation-building experience in the illusion were all illusions, and the memories are a complete mess.

But one could vaguely sense that breaking out of this illusionary realm would be of great benefit to his future cultivation.

"How can it be!"

Xiong Baishan finally stopped at the thirty-second level of the Heavenly Rank, completely immersed in it, and was automatically transmitted out by the Heavenly Rank of Inquiry.

He stood at the foot of the Heavenly Steps, watching Bai Zichen sometimes look confused, sometimes fearful, but in the end his expression was resolute as he climbed the steps one by one, and stood firmly on the fiftieth step.

"It's alright... The Path of Inquiry only assesses the candidate's character and doesn't represent anything else. There are countless disciples with outstanding character who die young, and it has no direct correlation with their combat strength."

The once confident Xiong Baishan's expression changed, and he could only mutter to himself to encourage himself, his companion bear beast being the source of his confidence.

"How can it be!"

Ma Ming, standing before the water mirror, uttered the same sentence.

Of course he recognized Bai Zichen, the inner disciple who had taken over the cave dwelling he had originally reserved for his cousin and had made him lose face.

Back then, Ma Ming had only taken about twenty steps on the Path of Inquiry when he fell into an illusion. Because of his impulsive actions, he killed a junior brother. He then went to the cultivator's house to take revenge and killed the entire clan, which attracted the cultivator's friends to seek revenge.

From then on, grudges and affections intertwined. In the midst of constant revenge, they embarked on a path of slaughter, ultimately wasting a hundred years of their lives, dying from exhaustion in the carnage, thus ending their trial.

Judging from his own experience, he couldn't imagine that Bai Zichen could reach level 50 of the Path of Inquiry.

"He probably won't surpass Sect Leader Wei... It's good that he broke it, so that every time a new disciple goes through a trial, they won't see that he holds the highest record for the past hundred years!"

Elder Zhang was initially startled, but upon reflecting on this, he began to feel a sense of anticipation.

"Send me all the information on this disciple named Bai Zichen later... Regardless of how much further he can go, he's certainly up to par in terms of character. If he's also good in other aspects, then we can put him at the top of the list."

Liang Yu gave a brief instruction and continued to keep a close eye on the figure in the water mirror.

Bai Zichen lingered on the fiftieth level of the Heavenly Staircase for a long time, a look of confusion on his face, and he even unconsciously looked around.

He achieved Foundation Establishment at the age of thirty and Core Formation after a century, becoming the youngest Core Formation True Person in the history of Qingfeng Sect.

"Next year, I will plant the flag of the Azure Maple Sect in front of the Ghost Spirit Sect!"

The following year, Bai Zichen led the sect's army on a journey, overcoming numerous obstacles. He set up the Star River Sword Formation in front of the Ghost Spirit Sect's grand formation and single-handedly defeated three Core Formation cultivators.

By breaking down the gate and cutting down the mountain, the Ghost Spirit Sect came to an end, and Bai Zichen's prestige reached its peak.

Soon after, he left the Liang Kingdom and traveled the world.

But as soon as he left Liang, he encountered a plump, white pig that knocked him flying.

"A Nascent Soul stage pig demon?"

"Where did this two-legged creature come from? It's so weak!"

"Lock him up again, keep him for two more years, and then kill him!"

A jade rabbit, exuding the same imposing aura, hopped and kicked, sending Bai Zichen flying dozens of miles away.

In mid-air, he even saw dozens or hundreds of such Nascent Soul stage demons, densely packed together.

"Outside Liang Kingdom, are Nascent Soul cultivators everywhere? Even a fat pig has the strength to crush me with a flick of its wrist. What's the point of my hundred years of arduous cultivation then..."

Bai Zichen's thoughts were in turmoil. Everything before him was beyond his comprehension, seemingly shattering the meaning of his cultivation since childhood.

"Any random demon beast is born with strength surpassing mine, so arduous cultivation is pointless... In the eyes of a Nascent Soul demon, what difference is there between a Core Formation cultivator and a mortal? They're both just two-legged beasts they've raised. It's better to be a mortal, content with just your own little plot of land, that's much happier..."

Bai Zichen's body grew increasingly faint, indistinct, as if it might dissipate at any moment.

Just then, a scene flashed before my eyes of a boy with his hair in a bun, holding Changchun Gong and reciting it with great effort, as if I had grasped some kind of enlightenment.

"I have dedicated my life to cultivation, seeking the Great Dao and longevity... What do other people's cultivation levels have to do with me? Even if they are as stupid as pigs but born to become gods, it cannot affect my heart's pursuit of the Dao."

The hundreds of Nascent Soul demons suddenly exploded, transforming into streams of light that surged into Bai Zichen's body, making his form solid and pure.

As he stepped further towards the border of Liang Kingdom, the entire world faded away, and he found himself standing on the sixtieth level of the Heavenly Staircase.

Bai Zichen took a deep breath. The series of virtual worlds, each experience like a dream sped up a thousand times, gave him a sharp, stabbing pain in his head.

As I stepped onto the sixty-first level of the Path of Inquiry, I saw myself transform into a meteorite, hurtling from the sky to the ground and burning into a giant fireball. Then, a gentle force pushed me away from the illusory world, and I returned to the bottom of the Heavenly Steps of Inquiry.

"What's going on? I haven't failed the trial yet, so why was I teleported out of here?"

Bai Zichen was completely bewildered; he had already experienced the wonders of the Level 100 Path of Inquiry.

Although it's hard to explain, he definitely benefited from the Path of Inquiry, as if the dust in the depths of his heart had been wiped away, leaving him with a clear mind.

"Your mental fortitude may not have reached its limit yet, but the Heavenly Rank of Inquiry has detected that your sea of ​​consciousness is no longer able to withstand the trials of a virtual world. In order to avoid causing irreversible damage to the sect's disciples, it was set up that you would be automatically teleported away once a similar situation occurs."

An elderly cultivator suddenly appeared behind them, his gaze fixed solely on Bai Zichen, filled with admiration.

"It is indeed a pity. If you had the Qi Refining Perfection cultivation, you might have been able to reach level 70. However, for Qi Refining cultivators, the benefits they gain from the two are not much different, so you don't need to worry too much about it."

"Greetings, Uncle Liang."

Bai Zichen quickly bowed. He had memorized the appearance of the Law Enforcement Hall Master before he joined the sect, so how could he not recognize him?

"You two have both passed the second trial of the true lineage. Go back and wait for further notice. Someone will inform you once the arrangements for the third trial are finalized."

Liang Yu offered a few more words of encouragement, nothing more than to encourage him to cultivate diligently and become a pillar of the sect as soon as possible.

After leaving the Hall of Enforcement, Xiong Baishan ran away in a hurry without saying a word.

Bai Zichen was neither happy nor worried; he was most confident about the final inner sect battle.

Having just emerged from the journey of self-reflection, it seems as if several lives have been added to my mind that do not belong to me, and upon returning to reality, I feel somewhat alienated.

It seems it will take a few days to resolve the side effects of the Mind-Questioning Path.

"The most virtuous and talented disciple of the Qingfeng Sect in the past century..."

Bai Zichen chuckled; the title did indeed sound impressive.

(End of this chapter)