Chapter 36 Disputes

Thinking of this, he took out the Mysterious Bead and began his first closed-door cultivation session.

Time flew by quickly; two years passed in the blink of an eye in the mountains. During these two years, Wang Lin practiced the Gravity Spell every day, besides Cultivating and breathing exercises, and he did not feel lonely.

Although it was said to be two years, if the Dream Space was included, he had actually been in closed-door seclusion for nearly thirteen years.

He deeply experienced the concentration of Spiritual Qi here. Although it still couldn't compare to the Spiritual Qi Spring Water, every time he performed breathing exercises in reality, the density of the Spiritual Qi was clearly several times greater than the outside world.

Starting from the second layer of Qi Condensation, cultivation became slow. He reached his limit six years into the dream time, and after realizing that the Spiritual Qi was no longer increasing, he began attempting a Breakthrough, succeeding in entering the third layer after several attempts.

What troubled and confused him, however, was that in the seven years following the dream time, even though he had reached the peak of the third layer, no matter how he tried to activate the incantation for the fourth layer, he always failed. It wasn't due to insufficient Spiritual Qi, but rather a mysterious power in the dark that always blocked him from entering the fourth layer at the critical moment.

Moreover, the third layer of Qi Condensation was quite strange. It wasn't like the first two layers, where if one didn't enter the next layer after reaching the limit, the Spiritual Qi would stop condensing.

This third layer seemed to have no limit. Even though Wang Lin felt he had reached the peak, the Spiritual Qi continued to increase with his breathing exercises, and his body was constantly being reformed by the Spiritual Qi. If his body didn't still feel like Qi Condensation third layer, Wang Lin would have firmly believed he had already achieved a Breakthrough and reached the fourth layer or higher.

This greatly surprised Wang Lin, and he racked his brain but could not find an explanation.

On this day, all the Spiritual Qi Snow Water was used up. Only one last Gourd containing liquid remained in his Storage Pouch. This Gourd was extremely old, one of the three he had buried when he first came up the mountain. He had used two previously to make the Mysterious Bead show the tenth cloud, but since drinking a single mouthful had nearly killed him, he was quite wary of the dew inside the Gourd and kept it deep within his Storage Pouch, refusing to touch it again.

After a moment of hesitation, Wang Lin did not take out the Gourd. Based on his analysis, the Spiritual Qi within this Gourd must have reached a terrifying level. Since he had a prior warning, it was better to be cautious; it wouldn't be too late to use it when his Qi Condensation Rank was higher.

He stood up, stretched his body, and pulled the handle on the wall. Immediately, a rumbling sound echoed, and the stone wall slowly rose, revealing the cave entrance. Sunlight streamed through the opening, momentarily stinging Wang Lin's eyes. After a long while, his vision returned to normal, and he finally walked out, taking a deep breath.

Looking down, he saw many people sitting in meditation and chatting in the valley. They had clearly been in closed-door seclusion for a long time and, unable to bear the boredom, had come out to relax.

After a brief contemplation, he concealed his cultivation down to the first layer of Qi Condensation. He flicked his sleeve, and a thrust rose from beneath his feet, carrying his body gently upward before slowly descending.

The Gravity Spell had been practiced by him to the point of perfection during the thirteen years in the dream time. He didn't need any incantations; the Gravity Spell could appear naturally almost with a single thought.

For example, his current levitation was achieved by using the Gravity Spell to control his body. Although this could be accomplished once the Gravity Spell reached a certain level, the speed was extremely slow, and accelerating would inevitably lead to a loss of control.

But now, Wang Lin was confident that even if he flew at high speed, he would not lose control. This was something absolutely impossible without practicing the Gravity Spell for more than ten years.

But who would be idle enough to spend more than ten years practicing this basic Immortal Technique? Cultivators are all racing against time, and practically no one would be willing to waste it. With that time, it would be better to Cultivate some Advanced Immortal Arts.

To avoid attracting attention, Wang Lin slowly descended into the valley. Just as he landed, he heard a harsh, mocking voice say: "The sun must have risen from the west! That trash Wang Lin can actually Cultivate to the first layer of Qi Condensation! He can finally get down the cliff wall by himself this time, without needing help."

Wang Lin turned his head and calmly glanced at Wang Zhuo, who wore an expression of disdain. Several people were sitting beside Wang Zhuo, all of them Inner Sect Disciples.

One white-robed young man, about twenty-four or twenty-five years old, sneered: "Wang Lin, you shouldn't have come here. Wouldn't it be better to stay in the Miscellaneous Duties Office and mix with those Named Disciples? You could still have the feeling of being superior, but now, you are the worst among us."

Wang Lin swept with his Divine Sense. Wang Zhuo was the same as him, having reached the third layer of Qi Condensation, while the white-robed young man had already reached the peak of the fourth layer and could Breakthrough at any time. He felt quite puzzled internally, wondering why he, clearly at the third layer of Qi Condensation, could easily see through the cultivation of someone stronger than himself.

Furthermore, looking at the white-robed young man, the spiritual power within his body seemed to be slightly weaker than his own. Wang Lin remained silent for a moment, keeping his question unsaid. He believed that there was something highly suspicious about this matter.

"Wang Lin, you were quite smart during the Grand Competition two years ago, knowing you weren't my opponent and voluntarily giving up. But let me tell you, trash will always be trash. You will never be able to compare to me, Wang Zhuo, in this lifetime. I was the Rookie King two years ago, can you do that?" Wang Zhuo said scornfully.

The white-robed young man beside him also sneered: "Junior Brother, go fetch me some water from the river! If Senior Brother is in a good mood, maybe I'll give you some pointers!" As he spoke, he threw a bottle that landed at Wang Lin's feet.

Wang Lin remained silent, looking at the other party.

"What's that look mean? You want to fight? Let me tell you, Second Senior Brother said that Inner Sect Disciples in the Back Mountain can fight each other. If you don't know your place, don't blame Senior Brother here for teaching you a lesson." The white-robed young man revealed a look of disdain.

"Enough! All of you shut up!" A cold shout came from the cliff wall. Then, a black shadow shot out like lightning, revealing the figure of Senior Brother Zhang upon landing. He frowned, scanned the crowd, and yelled: "Wang Zhuo, Sun Hao, instead of Cultivating, are you two finding it amusing to bully a Junior Brother who has just reached the first layer of Qi Condensation?"

The two's expressions slightly changed. After glaring viciously at Wang Lin, they snorted lightly and stopped speaking, clearly harboring fear toward Senior Brother Zhang.

Senior Brother Zhang shifted his gaze to Wang Lin and spoke just as sternly: "Wang Lin, you really shouldn't have come here, but since you have, then Cultivate peacefully. In the Cultivation World, strength determines everything."

Wang Lin nodded in agreement. After hesitating for a moment, he asked: "Senior Brother Zhang, I have a question I'd like to ask. After reaching the peak of the first layer of Qi Condensation, why can't I succeed no matter how I try to Breakthrough?"

Wang Zhuo snorted and said: "With talent like yours, don't even think about reaching the second layer in this lifetime!"