Chapter 48

Lin Xun held the token in front of his eyes and examined it carefully.

This token was made from a special type of jade, engraved with a complex spiritual pattern, and felt heavy in his hand.

On the back of the token, three ancient gold-plated characters were engraved—Shi Ding Zhai.

If Lin Xun's guess was correct, the spiritual pattern should be a unique symbol of Shi Ding Zhai.

"Having this token can solve a lot of trouble..."

Lin Xun carefully put the token into his storage ring and began to think about going to the Qingyang Tribe to exchange for supplies.

A few days ago, the major steward of Wu Family Pharmacy, Wu Henshui, was killed by Xia Zhi. According to Lin Xun's speculation, the other party would not let it go easily.

Now that he had this token from Shi Ding Zhai, perhaps he could use it to address the threat from the Wu Family Pharmacy.

"Regardless, I ultimately need to make a trip to the Qingyang Tribe."

Lin Xun's eyes were filled with contemplation.

The Qingyang Tribe was the closest place to Donglin City in the Three Thousand Great Mountains. According to the village chief Xiao Tianren, it was comparable to a bustling town.

Whether to solve the future living problems of the Fiyun Village residents or for his own cultivation, Lin Xun had to go there.

However, before that, Lin Xun had one more thing to resolve—breaking through the second level of the "Tongtian Secret Realm" Qingyun Avenue!

...

At night, Xia Zhi woke up from her sleep. She walked out of the room and looked at Lin Xun's busy figure in the kitchen. After a long silence, she said, "Lin Xun, I want to become stronger."

Lin Xun was taken aback. He quickly served the cooked dishes and then looked at Xia Zhi, who had a serious expression, and asked, "Why do you think so?"

Xia Zhi pursed her lips and said, "For no reason."

The little girl's expression was as serene as before, but her dark eyes showed an unprecedented determination.

Lin Xun fell silent for a moment, recalling what happened during the day, and vaguely understood. "Those two people were not bad."

Xia Zhi shook her head and said, "I don't know what good or bad people are, but I know that if I don't become stronger, I will be at a disadvantage when I encounter someone stronger than me. I don't like being at a disadvantage."

Lin Xun nodded. "I understand."

He truly understood. Xia Zhi's worldview might be simple, but she had a natural keen insight and knew exactly what she needed.

Just like when Daxiong Shi Xuan and the others came today, Xia Zhi didn't even eat her favorite dishes and directly went back to her room.

At that moment, she must have realized that she was no match for Shi Xuan and chose to temporarily retreat.

While serving Xia Zhi's meal, Lin Xun asked, "So, how do you plan to become stronger?"

Xia Zhi picked up her chopsticks and thought for a long time before saying, "Battle! As long as I fight with strong people, I can become stronger quickly."

Lin Xun's eyes narrowed. This answer was unexpected and made him feel heartache. It was a helpless way to become stronger.

If there were elders to guide, if there were powerful cultivation techniques, if there were abundant cultivation resources, who would choose to become stronger through battles?

Unfortunately, both Lin Xun and Xia Zhi were alone, like orphans, and could only rely on themselves.

Lin Xun finally made up his mind and said, "Let's put this aside for now. I will give you an answer in a few days."

Xia Zhi nodded.

She never questioned or resisted Lin Xun's decisions, a sign of complete trust.

This trust made Lin Xun secretly decide that after resolving the Fiyun Village issue, he would definitely take Xia Zhi away to Donglin City. No matter what methods or costs, he would find her the best cultivation place!

Lin Xun absolutely did not want to see Xia Zhi fighting powerful enemies; it was too dangerous.

...

Three days passed in a flash.

At night, Xia Zhi was already asleep. The starlight that drifted in through the window sprinkled on her serene and beautiful pale face, exuding an innocent and pure aura.

Lin Xun sat cross-legged, his clear and refined face calm.

In his mind, threads of consciousness surged like waves toward the blood-red mysterious gateway (Tongtian Gate) that had been quietly suspended.

Buzz~

In an instant, a familiar sensation flooded his body, as if he were walking through time and space, the stars shifting, and he found himself once again in the mysterious space.

The straight Qingyun Avenue stretched to the distance, with the mysterious and majestic Tongtian Gate at the end.

Lin Xun stood on the Qingyun Avenue, looking around, and couldn't help but marvel at the Tongtian Secret Realm, wondering who had created it.

A vague wave of energy quietly swept over Lin Xun's body, and then a cold, emotionless voice echoed in the sky:

"Seeker, the second level of Qingyun Avenue is called 'Body Refinement.' You have 108 attempts to pass. Each failure will give you three days to rest. If you fail all 108 attempts, you will be considered to have failed, and the Tongtian Secret Realm will be resealed."

"I understand. Let's begin."

Lin Xun's expression was calm, his clear and deep eyes showing determination.

"The attempt begins."

With the voice, a light curtain suddenly appeared on the Qingyun Avenue, like an ocean with surging waves and towering waves.

Before Lin Xun could react, a huge water vortex emerged from the light curtain, like a black hole, instantly swallowing Lin Xun's figure.

"The Body Refinement level has begun."

"Location: Spirit Pattern Battle Realm—Thousand Waves of the Sea!"

"Condition for passing: Break through a thousand waves and reach the peak."

...

In the dark room, Xia Zhi, who was sound asleep, suddenly opened her eyes. When she saw Lin Xun sitting cross-legged, she closed her eyes again.

But in an instant, she opened her eyes again, her expression showing a hint of confusion. In her perception, Lin Xun seemed to have vanished, leaving no trace of his presence.

Yet when she opened her eyes, she saw Lin Xun right in front of her, which made Xia Zhi puzzled. She stared at Lin Xun with her large, dark eyes for a long time, confirming that he was real, and then closed her eyes to sleep.

But as soon as she closed her eyes, she lost Lin Xun's presence, which made her feel inexplicably restless for the first time.

After a long time, the little girl finally fell into a deep sleep.

...

Rumble~

The sound of water, like thunder, echoed in his ears, deafening.

When Lin Xun opened his eyes, he found himself in an endless ocean, the vast blue sea stretching to the horizon.

About a thousand feet away, a mountain peak pierced the sky, unique in its appearance. Massive waves, like white dragons, cascaded from the peak, thundering into the sea, creating towering waves.

From a distance, it looked like a "water mountain," with hundreds of waves cascading from the peak, a magnificent sight.

At the same time, messages about the challenge appeared in Lin Xun's mind, making him instantly understand that to pass this level, he had to climb the mountain, facing the cascading waves.

Lin Xun's expression became serious. He was only at the True Martial Fourth Level, and while climbing the mountain wasn't difficult, the challenge was how to break through the cascading waterfalls.

There was no way to avoid them.

Lin Xun carefully observed the mountain, which was about a thousand feet high, with waterfalls cascading like roaring dragons, powerful and overwhelming. To reach the peak, he had to face the impact of the waterfalls.

With 108 attempts, it seemed like a lot, but Lin Xun knew that the more attempts, the harder the challenge.

Lin Xun would not waste these attempts.

"This level's key is how to withstand the impact of the waterfalls. To climb the mountain, I must be steady. If I am knocked down, it means failure."

"Since this level is called Body Refinement, it might focus on physical strength. As for spiritual energy... it might not be useful here."

Lin Xun took a step forward and realized that although he couldn't fly, he could walk on the sea surface as if it were solid ground, without sinking.

This was likely a special arrangement of the "Spirit Pattern Battle Realm." Lin Xun didn't think more about it and didn't rush to climb the mountain. Instead, he spent an entire hour carefully observing the mountain.

There was no shortcut!

After confirming this, Lin Xun gave up on any tricks and cautiously approached the base of the mountain.

The cascading waterfalls roared like angry dragons, crashing down with terrifying force, splashing up countless waves.

Even standing at the base of the mountain, Lin Xun felt a suffocating pressure. He tried to use his spiritual energy, but found it was restrained and couldn't be used.

This further confirmed that this level was a test of physical strength!

Taking a deep breath, Lin Xun looked up at the magnificent scene, feeling a surge of ambition. If he could conquer this mountain, it would be a great achievement.

Without hesitation, Lin Xun's muscles tensed, his body's strength concentrated to the extreme, like a fully drawn bow. He took a step forward, placing his foot on a rugged rock at the base of the mountain.

Rumble!

Instantly, a waterfall surged down, hitting Lin Xun with tremendous force, nearly knocking him off his feet.

This impact was even stronger than a full attack from a True Martial Third Level cultivator!

Lin Xun was surprised. His toes gripped the rock like iron claws, using the technique of a thousand-pound weight to stabilize himself.

Even so, he had to endure the continuous impact of the waterfall, which felt like being hammered by a giant hammer, causing unbearable pain.

Lin Xun knew he couldn't stay in one place; if he did, he would eventually fail.

He gritted his teeth, extended his arms, and inserted his fingers into the rock wall, then leaped upward.

Rumble! Rumble!

However, in just a moment, two more waterfalls surged down, and before Lin Xun could react, he was knocked off the mountain.

"Damn! This is too hard!"

In mid-air, Lin Xun couldn't help but curse. In the next instant, he was back on the Qingyun Avenue of the Tongtian Secret Realm.

"Seeker's first attempt failed."

At the same time, the cold, emotionless voice echoed.

---

ps: Thank you, Daozhang, for your support. Last night, I debated Buddhist teachings with you, which upset you. I truly feel bad about it and have realized that some beliefs need to be respected.