Chapter 39: Cultivation Before The Secret Realm Trial

Fang Hao sat cross-legged in his cultivation room, with three Jade Slips spread out before him.

Dividing Light Sword Shadow, Five Elements Spirit Shield, and Shrinking the Ground to an Inch.

"I have two months left; I must Cultivate these Spells to Major Achievement," he muttered to himself.

The Secret Realm trial was no joke; every bit of strength meant an extra layer of protection.

He picked up "Dividing Light Sword Shadow" first.

This was an advanced version of the Flying Sword technique; once mastered, it could manifest several sword shadows, making it difficult to distinguish between reality and illusion, and it was incredibly powerful.

"This thing requires a powerful Divine Sense, which suits me perfectly," Fang Hao chuckled.

With the Myriad Manifestations Heaven Swallowing Art as his foundation, his Divine Sense was far stronger than others at the same Realm.

Fang Hao brought out his azure steel sword and circulated his Qi according to the technique.

At first, he could only manifest two sword shadows, and he could not control them well; they often collided with each other.

"Damn it, these sword shadows are harder to handle than I thought!" Fang Hao wiped his sweat.

The sword shadows were not illusions; each one required precise control of his Divine Sense, which was equivalent to controlling several Flying Swords simultaneously.

After practicing for three days, Fang Hao could barely control three sword shadows, but he was still a long way from the "Nine Swords Flying Together" of the Major Achievement Realm.

"I need to try another way." Fang Hao had a flash of inspiration and circulated the Myriad Manifestations Heaven Swallowing Art, trying out his Seven Spiritual Roots’ power in turns.

The Metal-element power made the sword shadows sharper but harder to control; the Fire-element power was powerful but consumed too much energy; finally, he discovered that using Wind-element power was best—the sword shadows were both fast and agile.

"That’s it!" Fang Hao perked up.

With Wind-element power combined with his Divine Sense, controlling the sword shadows was much easier.

After practicing for another five days, he could already control six sword shadows.

The six sword shadows danced in the air, forming a simple sword formation with astonishing power.

"Three more to go..." Fang Hao gritted his teeth and persisted.

The last three were the hardest, requiring extremely strong Divine Sense control.

He simply activated the time-slowing function of his qiankun ring and practiced bitterly inside.

One day outside was ten days inside the ring, and his progress was rapid.

Half a month later, Fang Hao finally mastered "Nine Swords Flying Together"!

The nine sword shadows shuttled through the air like swimming dragons, integrating offense and defense—truly formidable!

"Awesome!" Fang Hao sheathed his sword and laughed, "This move will be enough to make Bao Zhijian suffer!"

Next was cultivating "Five Elements Spirit Shield".

This was a top-tier defensive Spell for the Foundation Establishment Stage, capable of automatically switching between the Five Elements for defense based on the attack’s attributes; it was extremely profound.

"The Five Elements generate and overcome each other... this is practically tailor-made for me!" Fang Hao rejoiced.

Having Seven Spiritual Roots was a huge advantage for practicing this!

Ordinary Cultivators practicing the "Five Elements Spirit Shield" could only focus on one or two attributes, but Fang Hao had all seven, allowing for perfect switching!

The cultivation process went smoothly as expected.

Fang Hao had a deep understanding of the Five Elements and quickly grasped the knack.

The Metal Shield defended against physical attacks, the Wood Shield absorbed Spell damage, the Water Shield neutralized impact, the Fire Shield reflected damage, and the Earth Shield blocked energy attacks...

He could switch between the five defensive modes at will, without any lag.

Finally, Fang Hao even innovatively added Wind and Thunder variations, making the spirit shield even more flexible and versatile.

In just ten days, the "Five Elements Spirit Shield" was cultivated to Major Achievement.

Fang Hao tested it, and the defensive power was astonishing—even a Cultivator at the Foundation Establishment Middle Stage would find it hard to break!

"I have a life-saving method now!" Fang Hao nodded with satisfaction. 𝕗𝐫𝐞𝕖𝕨𝐞𝗯𝚗𝕠𝘃𝐞𝚕.𝐜𝗼𝚖

Finally, it was "Shrinking the Ground to an Inch".

This was a profound movement technique; once mastered, a single step could cover several zhang, comparable to short-distance teleportation.

"This thing requires extremely high control over Qi..." Fang Hao tried several times, either lacking enough Qi to take the step or using too much and slamming into a wall.

During one test, he used too much force and crashed headfirst into the wall of his Immortal Cave, raising a large bump.

"Damn it, this isn’t ’Shrinking the Ground to an Inch’, it’s ’Crashing into a Wall and Getting a Bump’!" Fang Hao rubbed his forehead and cursed.

After calming down, he carefully studied the key points of the technique.

He discovered the key lay in the instantaneous burst and precise control of his Qi.

"Should I try using Thunder-element Qi?" Fang Hao had a flash of inspiration.

Thunder-element Qi had a strong explosive force, which was just right.

He circulated his Thunder Spiritual Root, and his Qi burst forth instantly!

He took one step and actually appeared three zhang away!

"Success!" Fang Hao was overjoyed.

But he immediately discovered a new problem: Thunder-element Qi consumed too much, and he would be out of Qi after a few steps.

"Still need to improve..." Fang Hao pondered, "Should I try using Wind-element Qi as the main force and Thunder-element Qi as the auxiliary?"

Wind-element Qi was light, and Thunder-element Qi provided the burst; combining the two worked even better!

He could step further, and the consumption was much lower.

Fang Hao practiced until he was proficient, eventually being able to take seven steps in succession, flickering like a ghost inside his Immortal Cave.

"Major Achievement!" Fang Hao finished his cultivation and stood up, his face full of joy.

It took nearly two months to master the three Spells.

Only a few days remained before the Secret Realm trial.

Fang Hao decided to test the actual combat effectiveness.

He went to the Sect’s trial grounds, which were specifically for Disciples to practice Spells.

He tested "Dividing Light Sword Shadow" first.

Nine sword shadows emerged together, forming a sword formation that attacked the trial Puppet.

The sword shadows crisscrossed, instantly cutting the Puppet into pieces!

"Not bad power!" Fang Hao nodded in satisfaction.

Next, he tested the "Five Elements Spirit Shield".

He asked a familiar Junior Brother to attack him with various Spells.

Fireballs, Ice Arrows, Thunder Spells... all attacks were easily blocked by the corresponding Spirit Shield!

The Junior Brother was panting with exhaustion: "Senior Brother Ning, your defense is too insane! It’s impossible to break!"

Finally, he tested "Shrinking the Ground to an Inch".

Fang Hao flickered and moved around the trial grounds, his speed so fast that only afterimages remained.

The few watching Disciples couldn’t even clearly see his movements!

"This movement technique of Senior Brother Ning... even someone at the Foundation Establishment Middle Stage couldn’t catch up, right?" The Disciples exclaimed in amazement.

Fang Hao finished his practice and landed, his heart filled with heroic spirit.

With the three techniques at Major Achievement, his strength had greatly increased!

Now, even if he faced someone at the Foundation Establishment Middle Stage, he had the power to fight!

Returning to his Immortal Cave, Fang Hao began his final preparations.

He checked his equipment, replenished his Medicinal Pills, and studied the information on the Secret Realm...

Everything was ready, just waiting for the Secret Realm to open.

On this day, while Fang Hao was meditating, he suddenly received a message: All Disciples participating in the Secret Realm trial must gather at the square tomorrow morning!

"It’s finally starting!" Excitement flashed in Fang Hao’s eyes.

He sent a message to Liang Ling: "Senior Sister, the Secret Realm opens tomorrow. I look forward to traveling together."

He soon received a reply: "Understood. See you tomorrow."

Fang Hao took a deep breath to calm himself.

In this Secret Realm trial, he must seize the Opportunity and further improve his strength!

"Bao Zhijian... you’d better not provoke me in the Secret Realm." A cold light flashed in Fang Hao’s eyes.

He was no longer someone to be bullied!

The next morning, Fang Hao arrived at the square on time.

Hundreds of Disciples had already gathered, all there to participate in the Secret Realm trial.

Liang Ling and Lin Wan had also arrived.

Lin Wan said with a smile: "Junior Brother Ning, you have to take care of us in the Secret Realm!"

Liang Ling said indifferently: "Be careful of Bao Zhijian; he might cause trouble in the Secret Realm."

Fang Hao nodded: "Thank you for the reminder, Senior Sister. I will be careful."

Just as they were speaking, Bao Zhijian arrived with a few followers.

Seeing Fang Hao, he snorted coldly, a fierce look flashing in his eyes.

Fang Hao met his gaze calmly, without a hint of fear.

At this moment, the presiding Elder arrived and began to explain the rules of the Secret Realm:

"The Heavenly Wind Secret Realm will be open for three months. There are countless Opportunities inside, but also great dangers."

"Fighting is not prohibited in the Secret Realm, but you must not intentionally take lives."

"If you encounter danger, you can crush the Jade Slip to be transported out, but you will lose your qualification for the trial."

"Rewards will be assessed based on your harvest at the end, and the top three will receive special rewards."

The Disciples listened, rubbing their hands and eager to try.

The Elder finally said.

"The entrance to the Secret Realm is about to open. I wish all Fellow Daoists good fortune."

In the center of the square, a huge gate of light slowly formed.

The Secret Realm trial officially began.