Chapter 391 I Established a Sect in the Cultivation World (20)
The secret realm has opened!
"You can go in now!"
A commotion broke out in the crowd.
A senior elder from a major sect shouted, "Disciples of my sect, enter!"
Dozens of disciples immediately activated the bronze tokens in their hands. The tokens transformed into streams of light that merged into their bodies. Then, their figures were guided by the pillar of light and instantly disappeared from the spot.
Following suit, other sects and the alliance of independent cultivators also took action.
One after another, figures rushed into the pillar of light and disappeared.
Zhou Jue didn't move. She watched as people entered one by one until the number of people in the open space was reduced by nearly half. Only then did she slowly take her first steps.
Just as Zhou Jue took a step, preparing to step into the pillar of light, three figures moved imperceptibly and blocked her way.
The leader was a middle-aged man with triangular eyes, a late-stage Golden Core cultivator, and a smile that he thought was kind on his face.
"Please wait, fairy."
The rogue cultivators who were preparing to enter the secret realm immediately cast their expectant glances at the scene.
Zhou Jue stopped in his tracks, his eyes calm and undisturbed.
"What's up?"
"You're joking, fairy. It's nothing serious." The man with triangular eyes rubbed his hands together.
"Just seeing that the fairy is all alone, and that the Myriad Manifestations Heavenly Palace is fraught with danger, it would be far too dangerous for her to go in alone."
He paused, then his tone became more enthusiastic.
“I am at the second level of the Nascent Soul stage. My two brothers and I have formed a ‘Dragon-Slaying Team.’ Our strength is quite decent. Why don’t you join us, Fairy? That way, we can help each other out. We can split the treasures we obtain 40/60, how about that?”
A burly cultivator behind him chuckled and added, "Yes, fairy, our eldest brother is at the Nascent Soul stage, and my brother and I are at the eighth or ninth level of the Golden Core stage. We are all independent cultivators, so it's safer to travel together."
Zhou Jue's gaze swept across the three faces, then he uttered three words indifferently: "Not interested."
After saying that, she tried to walk around the three of them and continue forward.
"Hey! Fairy, don't be in such a hurry to leave!"
“Fairy, this secret realm is not peaceful. Without companions, even if you obtain treasures, you may not be able to bring them out alive.”
Zhou Jue ignored him and stepped into the pillar of light in a few steps.
They watched as Zhou Jue walked past them, until his figure completely disappeared into the guiding light pillar.
"Then... what kind of method is that?"
"Brother, how did she get around us?"
"A Golden Core cultivator at the Great Perfection stage... How is that possible!"
No one could understand it, but they all realized one thing: that female cultivator either practiced some kind of cultivation technique or was hiding her cultivation level. Either way, she was someone they couldn't afford to offend.
...
The feeling of passing through the beam of light was quite peculiar.
It was as if I had fallen into a bizarre vortex, with colorful bands of light rushing past me. My body lost its weight, and my consciousness was compressed.
This feeling of weightlessness lasted for about a dozen breaths.
The bright light suddenly faded, and Zhou Jue landed on his feet, instinctively opening his eyes.
The expected primeval forest, ancient ruins, or broken walls did not appear.
What came into view was a pure, endless expanse of white.
Beneath my feet was a ground radiating a soft white light, and above me was an equally boundless white sky.
All around, it was white, nothing but white.
There are no landmarks, no sounds, and... not even a trace of spiritual energy can be sensed here.
Zhou Jue frowned slightly. She tried to spread her divine sense, but found that it could only extend less than three feet outside her body before being blocked by an invisible force.
She then tried to sense the laws of space, but was again met with immense suppression.
"That's interesting."
With a thought, she released Jingbai from the Starry Secret Box.
A flash of white light, and Jingbai, who looked like a young girl, appeared beside her.
"Sister, have we arrived...?"
Jing Bai looked around curiously, and then his golden vertical pupils were instantly filled with confusion and unease.
"What kind of place is this?" She sniffed hard, her face full of confusion.
Just then, an ancient voice rang out without warning in this pure white space.
"Welcome to the Myriad Phenomena Heavenly Palace, First Realm, Inquiry into the Heart."
Zhou Jue and Jing Bai looked up at the same time.
The voice seemed to come from all directions, or perhaps it was ringing directly in their minds.
"In this realm, there is no up or down, no four directions, no spiritual energy, and no laws."
"There is only one path, which resides in your hearts."
"Moving forward is the only way out."
"Those who lack resolve will forever perish here and vanish into nothingness."
The sound slowly faded away, and the entire space returned to deathly silence.
"Question the Heart? Proceed Forward?" Jing Bai scratched his head, looking completely puzzled. "Which way are we going? Aren't they all the same?"
Zhou Jue did not answer. She looked at the endless pure white expanse in front of her and took a step forward.
One step, two steps.
The moment she took her third step, a heavy, mountain-like pressure suddenly struck her soul.
In an instant, it felt as if countless voices were screaming in her mind, telling her to stop, to give up, to sit down on the spot.
At the same time, a wave of weariness washed over her, making her want to close her eyes and fall into a deep sleep.
"I see."
Zhou Jue understood.
This path has no physical form; every step forward is a test of one's moral character and will.
She turned around and looked at Jingbai.
Jingbai followed her example, took two steps forward, then suddenly swayed, her face turning deathly pale.
"Sister...I...I feel so dizzy..."
She held her forehead, her steps faltering, her golden pupils somewhat unfocused.
"It feels like...it feels like so many things are getting into my head..."
For Jing Bai, her strength lies in her bloodline, her physical body, and the vastness of her demonic power.
However, her "Dao Heart" was only just beginning, like a seedling, and it was simply unable to withstand this test that directly targeted her soul.
"Don't think about it, don't look at it." Zhou Jue walked to her side and grabbed her cold hand.
"Follow my footsteps, one step at a time."
Don't think about anything else, just focus on one thing: keep moving forward.
Zhou Jue's voice was like a stabilizing force, bringing a sliver of clarity back into Jing Bai's confused eyes.
She nodded vigorously, biting her lip, and followed closely behind Zhou Jue.
Zhou Jue took her hand and walked forward step by step with determination.
The pressure is mounting.
Every step I take feels like carrying a mountain on my back.
Gradually, the pure white space in front of me began to change.
Images flashed before Zhou Jue's eyes like slides.
After she won the lottery on Earth, she lived a life of leisurely idyllic tranquility.
The picture of the country's explosive development in science and technology after the system was put into operation;
There are scenes of everyone cultivating immortality, scenes of fighting in another world, and scenes of fighting side by side with teammates...
These are her past memories, part of her will, and cannot affect her in any way.
She ignored it completely, her steps never faltering.
Jingbai's condition worsened; she was trembling all over and making unconscious mutterings in her sleep.
"So much food...no, I can't eat it...Master..."
"Fighting...it hurts so much...ouch..."
"My mission...my mission..."
Clearly, she too had fallen into her own inner demons and illusions.
Zhou Jue gripped her hand even tighter, and Jing Bai's body finally calmed down a little.
I don't know how long I walked, maybe a day, maybe just a moment.
Just then, the scene in front of Zhou Jue suddenly changed.
The familiar valley, the familiar sect's architectural complex.
Xuantian Sect.
However, at this moment, the Xuantian Sect was already engulfed in flames.
Countless cultivators dressed in various colors are frantically attacking the mountain-protecting formation.
Zhao Sizhe, Cheng Gan, Lin Qingqian... familiar faces, covered in blood, struggling to hold on.
The light of the great formation teetered on the brink of collapse under the bombardment of countless magical treasures.
Cheng Gan's flying sword was broken in half, Zhao Sizhe's glasses were shattered on the ground, and Lin Qingqian had blood on the corner of her mouth, but her eyes remained stubborn.
The scene was so realistic; every expression, every ray of light from the spells, even the pervasive smell of blood in the air seemed to come alive.
For the first time, Zhou Jue stopped in his tracks.
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