In the Spirit Realm, Lin Yun was like a fish in water.
After learning who his enemies were and how powerful they were, Lin Yun resolved to break through to the next realm no matter what.
The peak of the Origin Sea Realm was a state where a cultivator's vital energy, their Yuan Qi, gathered in their Dantian to form a sea of power. When one's Dantian became as vast as an ocean, they had reached the pinnacle. But Lin Yun's current state was different from that of an ordinary person. He could feel all the Yuan Qi in the world converging not just in his Dantian, but throughout his four limbs and hundred bones. He now felt like a bucket filled to the brim, eagerly waiting to increase its capacity.
If he could reach the Sky-Soaring Realm during this time, he would be able to connect his internal Yuan Qi with the world's ambient Yuan Qi, thereby achieving the ability to fly with his physical body. Since ancient times, this was a stage all powerful experts had to pass through.
The Spirit Cauldron Realm, which came after, involved continuously tempering one's divine soul. By experiencing one trial after another, the power of one's soul would be strengthened, laying the foundation for the next realm.
Lin Yun's method of cultivation was different from ordinary people, so the judgment of his realm was also different. But right now, he understood one thing clearly: breaking through would not be easy. However, in order to defeat the scum of the Crimson Ghost Sect, he had no other choice.
Over the past few days, he had rescued many people. His mood was high, but at the same time, he was using every ounce of his being to forcefully increase his own power.
"Studying is like rowing a boat upstream; if you don't advance, you fall behind." The principle was correct, but for an ordinary person, pursuing success as eagerly as Lin Yun would surely lead to being overcome by rage and suffering a cultivation deviation. Everyone thought that Lin Yun shouldn't be so utilitarian at this stage. In their eyes, his failure was inevitable.
But just then, a piece of news arrived that silenced their doubts.
After nearly half a month, Lin Yun had successfully refined the power from Pei Miaojin. He wasn't entirely clear on the meaning of her final words. He only remembered that she was an ancient remnant soul. Therefore, the secrets she held were surely far more complex than he had initially thought.
He let out a long breath and slowly opened his eyes. He could already feel that he had half a foot in the Sky-Soaring Realm. But as a sword cultivator, this alone was not enough.
"If I want to reach the next level, I need to go through a true battle," he muttered to himself. "Preferably a near-death one. Only then can I comprehend my power."
This, naturally, would not be easy. But at this moment, Lin Yun was full of confidence.
"Although you've been in seclusion for over half a month and haven't broken through yet, I can feel that your power is much greater than before." Xia Yijing had, at some point, arrived at the cave where Lin Yun was staying. Knowing that he was on the verge of a breakthrough, the group had given him a relatively quiet environment. If Lin Yun could increase his strength during this time, it would be a good thing for the entire team.
"Everything is more or less ready. All I need now is a battle, and the breakthrough will be a natural progression," Lin Yun said lightly, slowly standing up.
Although his realm hadn't changed yet, he was confident he could advance quickly in the heat of combat. The only problem was that finding a suitable opponent wasn't so simple.
"We just received news from the Vajra Sect," Xia Yijing said in a low voice. "It seems those guys have run into some trouble."
The Vajra Sect and the Marvelous Sound Sect had always been on good terms, as their territories had bordered each other since long ago, and they communicated frequently. So, when the Vajra Sect ran into trouble, they had immediately sent a message to the Marvelous Sound Sect. Unfortunately, after many twists and turns, the message had arrived a little too late.
"The Vajra Sect has fallen into the hands of the Valley of Ten Thousand Evils. Their members are very strong. The most terrifying thing is their technique for imprisoning souls." As she spoke, Xia Yijing couldn't help but feel a chill of terror.
It was obvious now. The Crimson Ghost Sect had been monitoring their every move for a long time. And based on the different cultivation methods of each sect, they had assigned them tailor-made enemies. Under such circumstances, it was impossible for anyone to win.
Hearing this, Lin Yun's expression hardened. "So, you're saying we have to go to the Vajra Sect's location." He glanced at the map in his hand. The maps he had taken from others, when pieced together, had given him a general understanding of the Spirit Realm. It was huge. Ordinary methods couldn't possibly survey it in a short time. If he didn't have other plans, there would have been no need to acquire these maps.
But the matter of the Vajra Sect… Lin Yun felt it would be a strain.
"Their location is too far from us," a male disciple beside them said quietly. "And the news arrived too late. Even if we go, it's unlikely there will be a good outcome. We might even fall into an ambush." The gravity of the situation was clear in his tone.
Lin Yun shook his head. "These matters are certainly not simple. But we cannot just give up like this."
He looked over at Murong Hongyi. "The other sects probably don't know about your betrayal yet. Why don't you take a trip to the Vajra Sect? The Valley of Ten Thousand Evils… you should be able to handle them, right?"
Murong Hongyi was completely stunned. Is he kidding? He wants me to go rescue the Vajra Sect by myself? He wasn't an idiot. He knew that his level of skill was nothing in the eyes of those people. To ask him to go now was tantamount to sending him to his death.
"Brother Yun," he pleaded, his face a pitiful mask. "If I've done something wrong, you can just critique me directly. Please don't send me to my death."
Xia Yijing sighed. "With his strength, it would be futile even if he went. The Valley of Ten Thousand Evils is very famous in the Wuqian Dynasty." It was precisely because she knew how formidable they were that she was so worried about the Vajra Sect's plight.
"Since that's the case, then let's go ourselves," Lin Yun declared.
Xia Yijing looked at him in surprise. "Are you sure you're not joking? That's the Valley of Ten Thousand Evils. They won't be easy to deal with."
Lin Yun nodded, his expression firm. "Didn't I say it before? I already have half a foot in the Sky-Soaring Realm. But if I want to take that final step, I can only rely on the tempering of battle. To fight continuously, to break through my own limits time and time again—that is the way of a strong sword cultivator."
Sword cultivators never challenge the weak. What they love most is to constantly challenge their limits, to defeat opponents stronger than themselves, again and again.
If the Valley of Ten thousand Evils were too weak, Lin Yun wouldn't even bother going to find them.