The Prodigies War

The ringing bell was neither loud nor resounding, yet it seemed to contain a power that penetrated the mind.  

The passers-by shuddered as though their minds were being hammered and tempered like a chunk of iron. It might feel uncomfortable at first, but soon an energetic and refreshed feeling spread throughout their bodies.  

Unfortunately, the bell only chimed once and faded soon after. 

The passers-by fell into a dazed state for a moment before a rush of excitement and curiosity took over them. The effect of the Mind Bell is too wonderful and mysterious.

Xiao Qinghe was a little shaken. How can he break through the first six levels of the mind strengthening secret realm so quickly?

Meanwhile, Lin Xun was navigating the vast world alone. Although the world was huge, he was the only one in it. His shadow looked lonely but particularly determined. 

The first six mind strengthening tests were just forces such as wind, lightning and fire acting on the mind. Although they were strong, Lin Xun’s mind was as unshakable as a boulder.  

However, when he heard the bell ring in his mind, he felt energized and enlightened.  

His mind seemed to be cleared of distracting and complicated thoughts as if it had been cleansed by a refreshing shower of rain and wind. It became unprecedentedly free and light. 

Boom!

Muffled thunder raged in the sky as black clouds gathered. Then, torrential rain poured down like a waterfall from the ninth heavens, drowning the earth. 

However, the drops of rainwater never soaked his clothes, but instead turned into sharp blade-like force and pierced Lin Xun’s mind.

The downpour felt like thousands of razor-sharp swords launching from the sky, filled with deadly power. 

It aimed to kill the mind!    

Lin Xun continued forward, his expression unchanged. He thought nothing of the torrential storm, and his movements reflected that. 

I won’t waver even when the wind and rain come in all directions!

Soon, the rain passed and the sky cleared up. A blazing sun hung high in the sky, illuminating all things in the world. 

However, each ray of sunlight contained a burning power that was several times more terrifying than that in one raindrop. It seemed capable of incinerating a person’s mind to ashes. 

Lin Xun continued forward, his figure straight and tall like before.

……

“The fellow cultivator who entered the Mind-Strengthening Tower just now should be a powerful young man. Otherwise, he couldn’t possibly pass six levels of the Mind Strengthening Tower in such a short time.”  

The passerby continued, “But in my opinion, he can only last until the twelfth test.” 

The blue-robed man looked like an expert as he stood tall and straight with his hands behind his back. 

“What makes you say that?” someone asked curiously. 

“Because the twelfth level is also called the mind disaster of demons and ghosts. Once they enter your mind, you would feel as if you have fallen into a land of ghosts and demons. Even if you let down your guard for the slightest second it will cause millions of ghosts and demons to bombard your mind. Regardless of how strong someone is, it is impossible to eliminate them!” 

The blue-robed old man talked like he was passing judgment, “Over the years, I have lost count of how many self-proclaimed geniuses have come to take the challenge. In the end, only a handful have been able to pass that level.”  

“Is it that difficult?” someone gasped. 

“It’s not only difficult but also abnormal! Based on the statistics since ancient times, there is less than a fifty percent chance of passing that level!”

The old man said proudly, “I am certain that young man can’t trigger the second bell.”  

Clang!

But before his voice faded, the ring of a bell shook his mind. 

Everyone’s expressions changed, and many couldn’t help but look at the blue-robed old man to see his face reddening and his body going stiff.  

It was a direct slap to the face. His conclusion was directly proven wrong. 

“Ahem, there are no absolutes in everything. There are always exceptions, and in my opinion, that fellow cultivator just now is obviously an exception.”

That guy is so thick-skinned. He recovered so quickly and is acting knowledgeable again. 

Meanwhile, in the mind strengthening secret realm, Lin Xun’s black eyes flashed as he muttered to himself, “My mind is like a blade, able to slash all demons and ghosts. How can any ghosts or monsters stop me?”

He continued forward. 

After the Mind Bell rang for the second time, he felt as if his mind had been tempered repeatedly thousands of times, like the tip of a blade being polished until it was bright and glistening. 

He was like a precious sword that had just been sharpened! 

……

“After passing the first six levels, one’s state of mind can be called as hard as steel.”

“After passing the first twelve levels, one’s state of mind can be called as steady as a mountain.”

“As for passing the first eighteen levels…”

A serious look passed over Xiao Qinghe’s face as he murmured, “According to ancient legends, anyone able to pass those levels would possess a state of mind as bright and illuminating as a mirror. It was also called the state of illumination.

“Back then, Yun Qingbai already possessed the Illumination Sword Mind when he was at the Cyclic Derivation Stage. He passed eighteen levels of the mind strengthening secret realm and rang the Mind Bell three times in total!

“I wonder if he can do the same...” Xiao Qinghe was filled with anticipation.  

“Then tell us if that kid can pass eighteen levels of this secret realm?” Everyone nearby shifted their gazes onto the blue-robed old man.  

The old man let out a snort of laughter. “Since ancient times, countless heroes of the world have challenged the Mind Strengthening Tower, but only Yun Qingbai has passed eighteen levels of the secret realm. His feat is still being recounted to this day.”

He paused for a moment, hesitating, remembering the embarrassing moment of being slapped in the face earlier. He uttered cautiously, “If that young man wants to shine as brilliantly as Yun Qingbai…I won’t say that there is no hope but that…it is slim, close to zero, unless a miracle happens.”  

“What if a miracle really happens to him?” someone asked with a smile.

The blue-robed old man didn’t fall for the trap. Instead, he said in a rather disagreeing tone, “Then he will become the second brilliant person who has passed eighteen levels of this secret realm since ancient times.” 

Clang!

The Mind Bell rang again…

Damn it!

The blue-robed old man’s countenance changed, feeling a burning pain in his face. He is deliberately embarrassing me! Does he want to slap me in the face that much?  

Other passers-by were taken aback. The second person since ancient times? 

A miracle indeed happened!

They couldn’t care less about the old man embarrassing himself because the miracle was enough to cause a sensation in Baiyujing. 

“He did it...” Xiao Qinghe gasped, his expression changing subtly. 

In his view, among the cultivators from the Moon Sun Sacred Palace, only the eldest senior brother Mi Hengzhen could likely achieve the same feat. 

As for himself, he was still some distance away from reaching the illumination state of mind.  

But now, he witnessed a miracle!

Who is that guy?

He became more and more curious

In the mind strengthening secret realm, Lin Xun saw the stamp of success that Yun Qingbai left.

It was a stone tablet stabbed into the ground like a sword and marked with a column of striking writing: “My mind is like a sword, illuminating the world!” 

At least back then, Yun Qingbai could be regarded as the best among those at the Cyclic Derivation Stage to be able to possess the power of the illumination state of mind. 

Of course, this changed after Lin Xun came!

Lin Xun moved his eyes away from the stone tablet and gazed into the distance.

The mind strengthening secret realm did not consist of only eighteen levels of training. There were also more levels ahead.

Without any wavering, Lin Xun stepped forward.

He had yet to fully display his mind power during the previous tempering. 

Moreover, his mind power had improved accordingly from the cleansing of the Mind Bell. 

He had a hunch that he was about to make a breakthrough in his mind power!  

Boom—

As soon as he stepped into the nineteenth level, the silent sky transformed into a doomsday-like scene.

The void looked chaotic with countless horrifying cracks tearing the space apart and widening rapidly. The smallest ones were at least thousands of feet long. It looked as though the sky and earth were on the verge of collapsing.  

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The road ahead was blocked off!

There was nowhere to go. 

Behind was an expanse of nothingness, and there was no path to retreat to. 

A look of despair washed over Lin Xun’s face and, at the same time, a long sigh rang in his ears.

“There is no path ahead and there is no path to retreat to. The cultivation of the dao comes to nothing in the end!” 

The voice was melancholic, filled with bitterness and helplessness. It sounded faint and ethereal yet it lingered in his mind and filled him with feelings of despair and hopelessness. 

If, one day, you realized that the path that you are seeking comes to nothing in the end, will you regret stepping on this path?

Are all the efforts you made in the past meaningless?

Ask yourself!

This level was undoubtedly the most terrifying for cultivators.

……

As time went by, everyone grew more and more impatient outside the Mind Strengthening Tower. 

Why is the young man not out yet?

Could it be that he is continuing with the test? If so, that would be amazing!

But it’s been so long, why haven’t there been any signs of movement? 

Xiao Qinghe also tensed up nervously. Lin Xun was already on par with Yun Qingbai ten years ago if he could pass eighteen levels of the secret realm. 

But what if he passed more?  

Xiao Qinghe felt conflicted once again. 

After a full hour, under the expectant and anticipating gazes of everyone, a figure emerged from the Mind Strengthening Tower. It was precisely Lin Xun!

The Mind Bell did not chime. Does that mean he failed in the end and progressed no further than the eighteenth level?  

Everyone simultaneously breathed a sigh of relief, but they also looked a little disappointed. Yun Qingbai’s record was indeed not easy to beat!

However, even so, their eyes gleamed with admiration when they looked at Lin Xun. It was already incredibly amazing that he was on par with Yun Qingbai in terms of mental state cultivation.

Only Xiao Qinghe frowned. Did he really fail?

He didn’t believe it, so he couldn’t help but rush forward to ask, “Friend, which level did you reach?”

Lin Xun shook his head and turned around to leave. 

Xiao Qinghe became more and more curious and followed him. “I am Xiao Qinghe, a successor from the Moon Sun Sacred Palace, can I ask for your great name?”

Just as he finished speaking, a bell chimed from the Mind Strengthening Tower behind him.

Unlike before, the sound waves of the bell pierced the clouds and soared straight into the sky, echoing endlessly.

At the same time, the entire tower glowed brightly and produced ripples of sacred energy. 

The passersby stood aghast, feeling the sacred atmosphere.

Xiao Qinghe suddenly turned his head, and his expression dramatically changed.