Chapter 7: Cultivation encounters obstacles, the mirror of reincarnation appears

The night was as dark as ink, and all was silent. In the hidden space beneath the rocky cliffs of the back mountain, the chill seemed even stronger than usual.

Ye Li sat cross-legged beside the cold spring, her eyes closed, her aura fluctuating. Within her, the already impressive wisp of icy-blue spiritual energy, like a trapped, angry dragon, raced frantically through her meridians, attempting to break through some invisible barrier.

The bottleneck at the peak of the initial stage of the Spiritual Awakening Realm has been bothering her for two days.

The dominance of the "Emperor's Scripture of the Dark World" was now undeniably evident. The power it wielded far surpassed that of any cultivator of the same rank, but the accumulation and impact required for each breakthrough was equally astounding. For ordinary cultivators, advancing from the beginner to the intermediate rank might require only a gradual accumulation of energy and a simple impact, but what she faced was like an impenetrable wall of iron!

The thinness of the lower realm's spiritual energy was a fatal constraint. Despite the aid of the cold spring's chilling energy and the simple medicinal liquids used to temper his body, the speed at which he absorbed spiritual energy still far lagged behind the terrifying, ocean-sucking demands of a breakthrough technique.

She tried several times, mobilizing all her spiritual energy, striking the solid bottleneck barrier like a tidal wave. Each impact brought a sharp pain through her meridians, as if her entire body was about to burst under the violent force. Yet, the barrier only trembled slightly, remaining motionless. Instead, the counter-vibration sent her blood churning and her spirit trembling.

Even more dangerous, due to insufficient energy supply, the practice of the technique began to become obscure and difficult. The vast spiritual energy that was mobilized but unable to be released began to surge around in her body, showing signs of losing control and backlash! If it lost control, the meridians would be damaged at best, and her cultivation would regress. At worst, her qi sea would collapse, and she would be completely disabled!

Cold sweat trickled down her forehead, frozen into ice crystals by the surrounding chill before it even dripped. Her face was pale with an abnormal flush, her body trembling slightly, her teeth clenched, clearly enduring immense pain.

"Not enough... not even close!" Ye Li growled inwardly. She could clearly sense that it was just a tiny bit off! If only her strength was a little stronger, and her control over her spiritual energy was a little more refined, she would be able to blast through this barrier!

But this little bit is like an insurmountable chasm!

His body was nearing its limit. His meridians wailed, his qi sea trembled, and his soul felt exhausted from the constant high-intensity control. His already fragile body felt as if it would be completely ripped apart by the prehistoric beast that was the "Youhuan Emperor Scripture" in the next moment!

The destructive backlash had begun to erode her meridians, causing a stabbing pain. Her consciousness began to blur, and the shadow of failure surged into her heart like an icy tide.

Is... it going to stop here?

Unwilling to give up! A strong sense of unwillingness burned her soul like a raging flame! The competition was approaching, her enemies had not been avenged, and the great path had not yet been achieved. How could she fail at this initial hurdle?

At this critical moment, when consciousness is about to be overwhelmed by pain and despair——

In the deepest part of her soul, the fragment of the Samsara Mirror that had been silent and barely fused with her spirit and soul seemed to be touched by her extreme unwillingness and her situation of being on the verge of collapse, and once again... trembled slightly!

This time, it is no longer imperceptible!

A strange energy that was far clearer and richer than any previous one suddenly flowed out from the fragments, like a sleeping ancient dragon awakening!

This energy wasn't spiritual energy, but it carried an indescribable, all-soothing, all-seeing, cool, ancient quality. It instantly flowed through her limbs and bones. Wherever it passed, the spiritual energy, once on the verge of spiraling out of control, was gently soothed by an invisible hand, instantly becoming docile and controllable! The tearing sensation in her meridians quickly subsided, and the tremors in her sea of ​​qi were forcibly stabilized!

What’s even more amazing is that under the influence of this energy, Ye Li’s consciousness seemed to be instantly elevated and purified!

At that moment, her perception changed drastically!

Everything around her seemed to slow down. The trajectory of the cold spring's rising chill, the rhythmic movement of the sparse spiritual particles in the air, even the subtle rhythm of her own blood flow and spiritual energy circulation, all became incredibly clear, as if slowed down dozens of times, appearing before her "eyes" in every detail!

She could even "see" the most subtle energy structure on the bottleneck barrier and its weakest point!

The precision of her control over the spiritual energy within her body instantly reached a level she had previously unimagined! Every trace of spiritual energy was at her fingertips, perfectly controlled and smooth!

Now is the time!

No need to think, it was completely driven by instinct! Ye Li gathered all the strength that had been soothed and strengthened by the energy of the Samsara Mirror, and launched a final, earth-shattering attack at the weakest point of the barrier!

"boom--!"

It was as if a loud noise like the creation of the world was ringing in my mind!

The incomparably solid barrier, under this extremely precise blow that condensed all strength, shattered like fragile glass!

The obstacles disappear instantly!

The surging spiritual energy was like a torrent bursting through a dam, leaping with joy as it rushed into a wider, more resilient river channel! Its circulation speed suddenly accelerated! The pores all over its body spontaneously opened, absorbing the thin spiritual energy between heaven and earth even more frantically!

Breakthrough! Intermediate Spiritual Awakening Realm!

Moreover, thanks to the nourishment of the strange energy of the Samsara Mirror fragment and the incredible perception she had just experienced, her Qi Sea was actually slightly widened! Her meridians were also tempered to be more resilient!

This means that her foundation is more solid than that of cultivators of the same level, and she will be able to accommodate more spiritual energy in the future and have greater potential!

Almost instantly, that transcendental state of all-perceiving, all-controlling perception receded like the tide, vanishing without a trace. The world returned to its normal pace, and the exquisite control over energy faded, but it didn't vanish completely, leaving behind a faint lingering feeling and understanding.

Ye Li slowly opened her eyes and exhaled a long breath of foul air. This foul air condensed and did not dissipate, with a faint gray color, indicating the deeper impurities in her body.

She felt the spiritual energy surging through her body, which was nearly twice as strong as before, and her eyes burst into a brilliant light!

Success! Not only did we break through the bottleneck, but it also turned out to be a blessing in disguise and solidified our foundation!

What made her even more excited was the wonderful experience she had just had!

"Samsara Mirror..." she whispered, her mind sinking into the depths of her soul. The fragment still hovered quietly, dim and without light, as if everything just now was just an illusion.

But Ye Li knew that it was not an illusion!

For the first time, she sensed its existence so clearly and truly experienced its incredible auxiliary effect - stabilizing the foundation, improving understanding, and even improving the accuracy of perception of energy and time and space at critical moments!

"So that's how it is... Is this your true use?" Ye Li suddenly realized. This item didn't directly provide power, but rather, at crucial moments, it elevated the holder's "status." It was like a supreme teacher guiding you, allowing you to unleash 200% of your strength and even glimpse the mysteries of a higher level!

Although this state cannot last long, it is just a momentary realization, which is priceless to her!

The instantaneous increase in her energy perception gave her a new, deeper understanding of the operation of the "Youhuan Emperor Sutra" and her control over her own spiritual energy. Many previously obscure points now suddenly became clear.

She began to realize that perhaps cultivation wasn't simply about accumulating strength, but rather deepening her understanding of the nature of energy and honing her control. Blindly pursuing something would yield half the result with twice the effort; but with precise control, she could even achieve a powerful effect with minimal effort.

This thought was like a seed planted in her heart.

She no longer rushed for success, but closed her eyes, carefully recalling every detail of her breakthrough, especially that mysterious state of perception. She tried to imitate and find that meticulous control over energy. Although she could no longer reach the level she had just reached, she had made significant progress compared to before the breakthrough.

New spiritual energy flowed joyfully through her widened meridians, nourishing her body and repairing hidden injuries. Her aura became increasingly calm and restrained, and a faint precious light flowed beneath her skin.

It wasn't until the sky was turning pale that Ye Li opened her eyes again. Her cultivation had already been completely consolidated at the middle stage of the Spiritual Awakening Realm, and she had even taken a small step towards the higher stage.

She stood up and stretched her muscles. A slight explosion sounded in her body, and she felt full of strength.

His gaze once again fell on the cold spring and looked at the dew-condensing grass that was about to fully mature.

The competition is today.

She clenched her fists, feeling the power coursing through her body and the newfound understanding of cultivation in her mind.

On the ring, she will surprise all those who look down on her.

And she will gradually uncover the secret of the Samsara Mirror.

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