Bringing The Farm To Live In Another World Chapter 2280: Heart Refining Road

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Three days had passed, and now they gathered in the Forbidden Path Sect’s Main Hall.

The tallest peak of the Forbidden Path Sect stood out remarkably. This mountain resembled a towering pillar. A spiraling staircase was etched into its sheer face. The pathway barely spanned a meter wide. Those faint of heart would tremble at the sight and refuse to ascend.

This path served as the Forbidden Path Sect’s Heart Refining Road. Its challenge lay in the sealing of one’s spiritual qi right upon stepping onto the stairs. Illusions would strike sporadically too. Anyone with a fragile mind would succumb to them every ten steps.

The Heart Refining Road counted as a restricted zone in the Forbidden Path Sect. Without authorization, no disciples could enter. The prohibition aimed not to hinder strong cultivator training but to safeguard the young ones. Legends spoke of a enigmatic stone along the Heart Refining Road that triggered hallucinations for those in proximity. Furthermore, cultivators below the Teleportation Stage faced sealed powers. Even experts at the Teleportation Stage endured illusions, though their strength remained intact. Only those beyond the Teleportation Stage escaped unscathed.

Currently, four figures waited at the base of the Heart Refining Road. Among them stood Elder Guo, who had guided Zhao Hai into the sect, alongside an elder named Wan. Known as Wan Feng, he held a position in the Inner Sect’s Law Enforcement Hall. His rank alone commanded immense respect.

The other pair consisted of Zhao Hai and Zhou Feng. Upon learning of Zhao Hai’s intent to tackle the Heart Refining Road, the portly Zhou Feng tagged along. He had attempted the path before but couldn’t summit. An illusion had ensnared him midway, dooming his trial.

Zhou Feng’s setback on the Heart Refining Road hadn’t tarnished his standing. Scaling halfway up that treacherous climb earned him inner disciple status within the sect.

Wan Feng gazed at Zhao Hai and instructed, “Zhao Ling, begin your ascent. Reaching the top ensures success. Keep in mind, once you start, your cultivation gets sealed.” Zhao Hai gave a nod.

Zhou Feng turned to Zhao Hai with a caution, “Brother, the Heart Refining Road holds many oddities. Illusions make you unwittingly expose your inner thoughts, unveiling hidden truths. Though the summit marks the end, the target shifts unpredictably. Any lapse into illusion bares your secrets. That’s how I once disclosed the source of my Divine Elephant Body.”

Zhao Hai nodded, “Thanks a lot, Brother Zhou. Don’t worry, I’ll stay vigilant.” Zhou Feng nodded in return.

After bowing to Elder Guo and Elder Wan, Zhao Hai drew a steady breath and started climbing the Heart Refining Road.

The instant his foot touched the Heart Refining Road, Zhao Hai sensed his spiritual qi heavily constrained. His eyes widened in astonishment at the bizarre sensation. Yet soon, Zhao Hai realized his spiritual qi wasn’t fully blocked. Rather, it flowed with extreme lethargy. Only the sharpest awareness could pick up on it.

Undeterred, Zhao Hai advanced another step. With both feet planted on the Heart Refining Road, his environment shifted dramatically. It felt like he teetered on a windy precipice, on the verge of plummeting.

A faint smile crossed Zhao Hai’s lips as his eyes sharpened. He unleashed his spiritual force to shatter the illusion. Wrapping himself in a protective layer of spiritual force, he pressed onward up the slope.

Zhao Hai noticed the assaults on his spiritual force intensifying relentlessly, threatening to crack his defensive shield. Still, anxiety didn’t grip him. The strikes could scarcely touch his core soul.

Step by steady step, Zhao Hai climbed higher until he hit the 999th stair. There, the ambient pressure surged. Not on his physical form, but targeting his spiritual force. Zhao Hai glanced upward involuntarily and saw the summit still distant. He’d covered merely a fraction of the journey.

Wan Feng observed Zhao Hai with a grin, “He moves swiftly. His spiritual force must be formidable. But this is merely the start. The Heart Refining Road splits into multiple phases. The initial phase concludes at the 999th step. Difficulties double with each new phase at minimum. Few manage the full climb on their debut attempt.”

“Our sect’s finest feat reached the fifth phase, achieved by the 16th Sect Master. He later ascended to Space Breaker mastery. I’ve studied notes from that ancestor. They claim the first five phases yield to spiritual force resistance. Beyond the fifth, without ironclad will, illusions claim you instantly. The 16th Sect Master conquered the fifth via immense spiritual force and meticulous groundwork. Without those, he’d have faltered earlier.”

Hearing this, Elder Guo queried urgently, “Then how could Zhao Ling possibly succeed? What’s the point of letting him join the Forbidden Path Sect? Isn’t this a pointless endeavor?”

Wan Feng offered a subtle smile and replied, “Why would the Sect squander effort on such promise? Should Zhao Ling attain the fifth phase, inner sect entry awaits immediately. The seventh phase grants true disciple rank. Ninth phase elevates him to core disciple. Recall, in a year’s time, the Blood Demon Realm opens. The Sect won’t idle his potential here.”

Elder Guo’s surprise deepened at these words. He hadn’t anticipated the Sect’s high regard for Zhao Hai. True disciple at the seventh phase, core at the ninth. In the Forbidden Path Sect, Core Disciples outshone common ones in prestige. They embodied the Sect’s elite, its envoys abroad. Current core disciples stood at least at Teleportation Stage, many at Diamond Body Stage. Zhao Hai achieving Core Disciple status at Earth Monarch Stage would shatter records.

Their discussion carried without hushed tones, so Zhou Feng caught every word. Joy swelled in Zhou Feng’s chest. He grasped Wan Feng’s implication fully. These statements signaled the Forbidden Path Sect’s commitment to fostering Zhao Hai. The Sect valued him above most peers.

This development thrilled him. Zhao Hai’s elevated rank promised smoother days for Zhou Feng and bolstered prospects for the Zhou Clan. Zhou Feng reaffirmed his wise choice in forging this bond.

Meanwhile, Zhao Hai persisted in his ascent. His strides remained light and fearless. Yet his spiritual force drained faster now, drawing a furrow to his brow.

Soon, Zhao Hai arrived at the fifth phase. Upon entering it, the pressure mounted further. The cube within his mind spun at a sluggish pace.

Suddenly, a stir in his thoughts activated the Five Elements Killing Formation, dormant until now. As it stirred, Zhao Hai sensed the burden on his spiritual force lighten considerably.

Surprise flickered through Zhao Hai. He often overlooked the Five Elements Killing Formation’s presence. It seemed so inert, lingering idly in his consciousness. Since spiritual assaults rarely crossed his path, it stayed inactive. Forgetting it made sense.

Once charged with sufficient energy, the Five Elements Killing Formation didn’t just repel the five elements; it warded off spiritual incursions as well.

Entering the sixth phase, Zhao Hai’s eyes widened in shock. The spiritual pressure vanished, replaced by an odd, benign energy. Lacking any ill intent, it left the Five Elements Killing Formation unresponsive. Swiftly, this force seeped into Zhao Hai’s soul.

Clarity washed over Zhao Hai in an instant. He scanned his surroundings and found himself in a room both familiar and alien. It was his old quarters from Earth. There he sat before his computer, immersed in an online novel.

Zhao Hai blinked in disbelief, then shook his head. He glanced around once more, confirming his spot at the desk.

A bitter smile touched Zhao Hai’s face as he murmured, “Just a dream, then. Quite the vivid one. It even weaves a full narrative. If I penned it, it’d make for an excellent tale.”

As Zhao Hai reached for his pen to jot notes, a jolt froze him. Heartache struck, like losing a vital piece of himself. Then a voice grew louder, a woman’s—Laura’s, to be precise.

Zhao Hai’s brow creased, followed by a cold huff. “Clever illusion! Impressively potent. But devouring me? Wishful thinking!” He shut his eyes. Upon reopening them, the Heart Refining Road reappeared. He teetered on the brink of a fall.

Zhao Hai inhaled deeply and whispered, “Not spiritual force at all. To drag me into illusion like this—what power wields such might? Space, examine this force.”

The Space responded promptly, “Unknown energy detected. Analysis underway. Energy poses no threat to Host. It solely probes willpower. Absorption in progress. Analysis complete. Energy level exceeds Host’s capacity for full comprehension. Advise leveling up to harness and grasp it.”

A faint smile played on Zhao Hai’s lips as he muttered, “Even the Space can’t decode it. Impressive. Laura, everyone, my gratitude.” He silently thanked Laura and the others in the Space. During the illusion, their link to Zhao Hai had nearly severed. They tugged him back through that bond. That pull explained the heartache he felt within the dream. Laura and the rest had summoned him urgently.

Had they delayed even slightly, Zhao Hai might have tumbled. The illusion’s realism overwhelmed. Earth, his birthplace, made the trap all too inviting. Recognizing the true realm now fortified Zhao Hai’s resolve.

As Zhao Hai paused at the sixth phase’s edge, tension gripped Wan Feng and the observers. First-timers on the Heart Refining Road often crumbled here. Most challengers met defeat at this point. Seeing Zhao Hai skirt the same peril heightened their anxiety.

Yet suddenly, Zhao Hai halted. His eyes snapped open, and he shifted to a steadier spot on the path. Then he resumed his upward climb. Wan Feng and the rest gaped, their gazes lighting with hope. They understood the significance. Zhao Hai had overcome a pivotal trial of the Heart Refining Road. It bespoke his unyielding willpower.

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