Chapter 36

Thinking of this, he took out the mysterious bead and began his first seclusion for cultivation.

Time flies, and the days in the mountain passed swiftly. Before he knew it, two years had gone by. During these two years, Wang Lin practiced breathing techniques and the Gravity Technique every day, and he did not feel lonely.

Although it was said to be two years, if the time spent in the dream space was included, he had actually been in seclusion for nearly thirteen years.

He had a deep understanding of the density of spiritual energy in this place. Although it still could not compare to the spiritual spring, the density of spiritual energy in the real world was clearly several times higher than the outside world.

Starting from the second level of the Qi Condensation stage, cultivation became slower. Six years ago in dream time, he reached his limit and, noticing that the spiritual energy no longer increased, he began to attempt a breakthrough. After several attempts, he successfully entered the third level.

However, what puzzled and troubled him was that in the seven years after the dream time, even though he had reached the peak of the third level, no matter how he tried to recite the incantation to open the fourth level, he could never succeed. It was not due to a lack of spiritual energy, but rather a mysterious force that always blocked him at the critical moment, preventing him from entering the fourth level.

Moreover, the third level of the Qi Condensation stage was quite peculiar. Unlike the first two levels, where the spiritual energy would not continue to condense if one did not advance to the next level after reaching the limit, the third level seemed to have no limit. Even though Wang Lin felt he had reached the peak, the spiritual energy continued to increase with each breath, and his body was constantly being transformed by the spiritual energy. If it were not for the fact that his body still felt like it was at the third level of Qi Condensation, Wang Lin would have believed he had already broken through to the fourth level or higher.

This greatly surprised Wang Lin, and he could not figure out the reason.

One day, all the spiritual snow water was used up, and only one gourd with liquid remained in his storage bag. This gourd had been buried for a long time, one of the three gourds he had buried when he first came up the mountain. To make the mysterious bead appear with ten clouds, he had used two of them. Later, after almost dying from drinking a mouthful, he became wary of the dew in the gourd and kept it deep in his storage bag, never touching it again.

After hesitating for a moment, Wang Lin did not take out the gourd. According to his analysis, the spiritual energy in the gourd had definitely reached a terrifying level. With the lessons from the past, he decided to be cautious and wait until his Qi Condensation level was higher before using it.

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 in through the cave entrance, blinding him slightly. After a while, his vision returned to normal, and he stepped out, taking a deep breath.

Looking down, he saw many people sitting and chatting in the valley, clearly having come out to relax after a long period of seclusion.

After a moment's thought, he concealed his cultivation to the first level of the Qi Condensation stage, then flicked his sleeve, and a force pushed him up, making his body float gently and slowly descend.

The Gravity Technique, which he had practiced to perfection over the thirteen years in dream time, no longer required any incantations. It appeared naturally with a mere thought.

For example, his current levitation was controlled by the Gravity Technique. Although anyone who reached a certain level of the Gravity Technique could do this, the speed was extremely slow, and accelerating would result in losing control.

Wang Lin, however, was confident that even at high speeds, he would not lose control. This level of mastery could only be achieved after practicing the Gravity Technique for over a decade.

But who would spend over a decade practicing such a basic immortal technique? Cultivators were always racing against time, and no one would waste time on this. With the same amount of time, it would be better to cultivate more advanced immortal techniques.

To avoid drawing attention, Wang Lin slowly descended into the valley. As soon as he landed, he heard a sharp, mocking voice: "The sun must be rising in the west. The waste of a man, Wang Lin, can actually cultivate to the first level of the Qi Condensation stage. This time, he can finally come down the cliff by himself without needing help."

Wang Lin turned his head and gave a calm look to Wang Zhuo, who wore a look of disdain. Beside Wang Zhuo, several others were sitting, all inner disciples.

Among them was a white-robed youth in his mid-twenties, who sneered, "Wang Lin, you shouldn't have come here. It would have been better to stay in the miscellaneous affairs department with those named disciples, where you could still feel superior. But now, you are the worst among us."

Wang Lin's divine sense swept over them. Wang Zhuo, like him, had reached the third level of the Qi Condensation stage, while the white-robed youth had already reached the peak of the fourth level and was ready to break through. He was quite puzzled, wondering why he could easily see through those with higher cultivation levels.

Moreover, the spiritual energy in the white-robed youth's body seemed weaker than his own. Wang Lin remained silent for a moment, not voicing his doubts, as he believed there was something suspicious about this.

"Wang Lin, two years ago, you were smart enough to know you weren't my match and gave up. But let me tell you, a waste will always be a waste. You can never compare to me, Wang Zhuo, the top newcomer two years ago. Can you do that?" Wang Zhuo said with contempt.

The white-robed youth also sneered, "Little junior brother, go to the river and fetch some water for me! If my mood is good, I might give you some guidance!" Saying this, he threw a bottle that landed at Wang Lin's feet.

Wang Lin said nothing, giving the other a silent look.

"What do you mean? Want to fight? Let me tell you, Second Senior Brother said that inner disciples in the back mountain can fight each other. If you don't know your place, don't blame me for giving you a lesson," the white-robed youth said with a look of disdain.

"Enough, all of you shut up!" A cold voice came from the cliff, followed by a black shadow that shot down and revealed Senior Brother Zhang. He frowned, glanced at everyone, and said, "Wang Zhuo, Sun Hao, why aren't you cultivating? Is it amusing to bully a junior brother who has just reached the first level of the Qi Condensation stage?"

The two of them changed their expressions, glared at Wang Lin with malice, and grunted, clearly fearing this Senior Brother Zhang.

Senior Brother Zhang's gaze shifted to Wang Lin and said sternly, "Wang Lin, you shouldn't have come here, but since you did, focus on your cultivation. In the cultivation world, strength decides everything."

Wang Lin nodded in agreement, hesitated for a moment, and asked, "Senior Brother Zhang, I have a question. Why can't I break through to the second level, no matter how I try, after reaching the peak of the first level of the Qi Condensation stage?"

Wang Zhuo grunted and said, "With your talent, you'll never reach the second level in your lifetime!"