Xin Huo Base,
Training ground,
Fang You sat cross-legged here, his consciousness already entering the trial space, stepping out with the Illusory Void Steps, one step at a time, towards the highest point.
The space gradually grew viscous, and a terrifying pressure enveloped him from all directions.
Fiercer still, knife-like gales and roaring thunderbolts assaulted him.
He moved through the air, constantly dodging, until at a certain moment, he could no longer hold on, falling like a bird with broken wings, and waking up in the training ground.
"Using the Tome of Trials to practice skills is indeed much more efficient, more than ten times so!"
"In just a day or two, my Illusory Void Steps have reached 15.5% of the 'Not Yet Mastered' level, and this is a Blue-tier skill."
Fang You was delighted.
Cultivating within the Tome of Trials had two benefits: first, there was no need to worry about the consumption of life energy – death and reset restored it.
Second, the special space was more conducive to practicing specific skills.
This 'Ascension Trial' was devised by the old brother Black Blade, the closest trial to Illusory Void Steps.
Third, as one's own strength improved, especially the 'realm' of various skills, practicing other skills would yield twice the result.
If practicing similar skills, the results would be magnified tenfold.
Fourth, he could still enjoy the focus boost of the training ground.
Being in the training ground while his mind was in the trial space, he received double benefits.
"However, there are also drawbacks. The trial space is, after all, virtual and does not train the physical body in reality... To ensure that the illusion and reality do not become disconnected, I still need to conduct real-world training from time to time, to maintain the smooth flow of life energy and to train combat muscle memory."
Fang You remotely raised a target.
He raised his hand, and streaks of Palm Lightning shot out, continuously striking the target, causing this highest-level training target to shake precariously before finally exploding with a bang.
Another one exploded.
But it was quite stress-relieving.
A moment later, he entered another trial space to hone his combat skills.
This was a space filled with a strong aura of blood and malevolence, where countless soldiers wielding blades charged at him, shouting, accompanied by an overwhelming tide of blood and killing intent.
It felt like being on an ancient battlefield, facing an endless iron tide.
He fought until he was utterly exhausted.
Even in the face of the enemy's strength, he did not fall – this was the trial space for Blade Slash.
It greatly honed one's survival skills and willpower on a large-scale battlefield.
"Now, my Basic Swordsmanship and Palm Lightning are both past the Master level."
"However, breaking through to the Pinnacle realm requires a Blue-tier cultivation card. Old Brother Black Blade has already used one, leaving only two."
Those two cards, he estimated, Black Blade would use one more.
Black Blade's swordsmanship realm was improving rapidly due to his 'Instructor' talent; as he taught sword techniques to his students, his own sword path also progressed swiftly. Blade Slash, because fewer people practiced it, did not improve as rapidly as swordsmanship, but it was still higher than Fang You's.
"The Pinnacle realm is indeed powerful, allowing one to control not only one's own body but also the surrounding environment."
"If Xing Jinglei and Black Blade swapped levels, with Old Xing at Third Awakening and Black Blade at Second Awakening, Black Blade would very likely still win."
"It's just that Blue-tier cultivation cards are running out. Green-tier ones are sufficient for now, while White-tier ones are more than enough, an unending supply."
"I hope that missions like 'Gate of the Strange Realm' will yield more high-tier cultivation cards."
The strange creature map he had previously provided to the Investigation Bureau only covered major towns within a certain range; he had not included forest areas, the Gate of the Strange Realm, and so on.
But now that he had collaborated with the Investigation Bureau, and Xin Huo's personnel were still relatively few, dealing with the Gate of the Strange Realm or a tide of strange creatures was no longer something he had to do entirely on his own.
He could simply use reasons like 'detected movement of a strange creature tide' or 'Gate of the Strange Realm has appeared' to call upon the Investigation Bureau or Special Forces, with Xin Huo taking the lead this time.
This would maximize mission rewards.
...
The day after the Investigation Bureau visited the Xin Huo training base, An Jianyyou and Yin Ling, under Fang You's arrangements, set off with members of the Investigation Bureau to that secret location.
There was a reason for choosing An Jianyyou and Yin Ling.
An Jianyyou possessed the 'Eye of Insight,' which might allow her to see different things in the secret location. As for Yin Ling, she was always complaining about a lack of medicinal herbs, constantly lacking this or that. Since that was the case, she might as well identify them herself.
The secret location was a convergence point, capable of birthing all sorts of mysterious materials, some of which might be what Yin Ling sought, and only she had the discernment to identify them.
The two boarded the Investigation Bureau's aircraft and traveled to the northwestern region of the Eastern Huang Kingdom, into a vast, desolate desert.
"Is the secret location in this desert?"
An Jianyyou gazed around. The desert stretched endlessly, and the scorching sun blazed overhead. She instinctively raised her hand to shield her eyes.
The desert landscape was novel to her, but after transferring to a vehicle and driving for a while, surrounded by endless yellow sand, she soon grew bored. She simply activated her Eye of Insight to survey her surroundings.
The desert instantly turned a pale gray. The landscape remained the same, but more ghostly figures, walking with difficulty, appeared.
There were also some strange creatures with desert characteristics.
An Jianyyou did not focus on the strange creatures. She noticed a gray river hanging upside down in the sky, winding towards a certain point, and in the distance, there were other upside-down gray rivers, similarly winding. Several rivers converged at a point at the edge of her vision.
"Is that where the secret location is?"
She pointed out the car window. Outside, it was still a vast desert, and a sandstorm had even begun to rage, painting the entire world a yellow-orange hue.
The wind beat against the car windows with a drumming sound.
Seated inside the car, they felt as if they were sealed with yellow tape, unable to see clearly through the external chaos.
But Director Huang was astonished.
Because the location An Jianyyou pointed to was precisely where the secret location lay!
Indeed, none of Xin Huo's elites could be underestimated, even An Jianyyou, who appeared so delicate and behaved like an ordinary girl in daily life.
"It's there, not very far now."
Though he said it wasn't far, the off-road vehicle drove for another good half hour, and the sandstorm outside continued. But at a certain moment, the drumming of the wind against the car windows suddenly ceased, and the sandstorm outside dissipated.
Director Huang spoke, "Once we reach here, vehicles are prone to accidents, so we have to proceed on foot. The secret location is not far ahead."
An Jianyyou disembarked as instructed. The world outside was not clear and sunny, but rather a hazy gray sky, much like what she had seen through her Eye of Insight.
Yin Ling crouched down, picked up a pinch of sand, examined it, and then looked around. "We're already on the outskirts of the secret location, aren't we? Mysterious factors are drifting through the air here; ordinary people would gradually become tainted by the supernatural if they stayed in such a place."
One of them identified the secret location from afar.
The other, without even truly entering the secret location, had already analyzed the environment. Was it necessary to be this formidable!
He didn't even need to introduce anything.
Huang Hongtian was resigned.
At this point, the surroundings were still desert, with no sign of anything else in sight. However, after walking a few hundred meters forward, the environment gradually changed.
Rolling hills appeared before them, sparsely covered with trees, though their shapes were very strange.
Some trees had human faces growing on them, which was quite eerie.
Others had branches like withered arms and hands, flailing wildly.
And yet others bore scarlet fruits, which, though hanging from branches, seemed to struggle as if alive.
An Jianyyou's skin crawled at the sight of these. What were these things!
But she saw Yin Ling's excitement. With a whoosh, she rushed forward. "This is a Human Face Tree; its bark is a rare medicinal ingredient, and the older the tree, the higher the efficacy of its bark. These Human Face Trees are quite old!"
"And this, the branches of the Devil Tree, although poisonous, can be used as medicine through counteraction."
"This Heart Fruit is even more precious! It's very active, and there are so many here!"
Yin Ling's eyes were filled with the shapes of medicinal herbs, her gaze burning.
If she hadn't remembered she was a guest and represented her organization, she would have rolled up her sleeves and started picking them.
But her current appearance was also quite frightening. It was only after Director Huang promised to give her some when they left that Yin Ling gradually regained her ladylike demeanor.
But was she ladylike? No one thought so anymore.
The area of the secret location was not very large. Not much further ahead were low stone houses, where Investigation Bureau personnel were currently dealing with strange creatures.
"Hahaha, distinguished guests have arrived. We apologize for not welcoming you sooner."
A resonant voice echoed from afar.
A man with thick eyebrows, large eyes, a high nose bridge, and a weathered square face, who exuded considerable authority when he looked around, strode forward, appearing within An Jianyyou and Yin Ling's sight.
"Director Tang, we apologize for the intrusion."
They expressed their respect.
Huang Hongtian introduced the two to Director Tang and some information about the secret location.
Xin Huo was invited this time, first, to reciprocate Xin Huo's contributions, and second, to seek cooperation with Xin Huo regarding the output of the secret location and to gain some guidance.
The facts proved that the invitation was not in vain.
As the tall woman walked, she revealed quite a few names and secrets, some of which they had not yet deciphered.
However, both Huang Hongtian and Director Tang looked forward to the Xin Huo mentor the most.
"The mentor said he's coming over."
An Jianyyou spoke.
The next moment, wisps of golden light converged before her.
A figure clad in a white robe, shrouded in a faint golden radiance, seemed to open a spatial gate from thousands of kilometers away and stepped out.
The person had arrived.