Published: March 3, 2025
There is a saying that no matter how difficult a task is, as long as one acts with a clear mind, they have already succeeded halfway.
Another saying goes, "To walk a hundred miles is to cover ninety." If one aims to walk a hundred miles, reaching ninety miles counts as only halfway.
Liu Yu deeply resonated with both sayings.
Thus, even when he reached the nine hundred and ninety-ninth level, just one step away from leaving the black staircase, he did not let his guard down.
He was fully committed!
As he took that step, the mental pressure peaked, and every thought felt excruciatingly slow.
In an instant, the familiar dizziness returned, and the most powerful illusion struck.
In a moment, two moments...
But Liu Yu was fully dedicated, and after a brief pause, he regained consciousness and reached the end of the black staircase.
“Step.”
He finally stepped out, completely leaving the staircase behind.
Standing amidst the enormous alien race palace, Liu Yu, who had not yet entered his true form, felt exceptionally small.
The palaces ahead resembled towering mountains, waiting for him to ascend and surpass.
"Ha~"
With one step forward, the mental pressure vanished suddenly, and Liu Yu let out a long breath, feeling especially relaxed.
He gazed far and wide, observing the situation within the Ancient Forbidden Land. His keen senses faintly picked up the sounds of magic duels coming from deep within the forbidden zone.
It was likely the three true lords and five demonic kings who had entered earlier were fighting fiercely over the treasures in the forbidden land.
“Path of Heart Refinement.”
On the stone tablet to the left of the path, three large characters were inscribed in alien script, which Liu Yu read aloud softly.
In addition to the three large characters, there were also two lines of smaller text explaining the purpose of the black staircase.
Having a keen interest in ancient secrets, he often delved into ancient texts and, being a cultivator, had an exceptional memory, having learned the languages of the ancient ten thousand races long ago.
After all, Liu Yu was already over four hundred years old, and he had spent considerable time studying ancient secrets.
He remained in place, not acting recklessly, and carefully examined the stone tablet.
As expected, this Ancient Forbidden Land was indeed crafted by the twin-headed clan, and the black staircase he had just traversed was named “Path of Heart Refinement.”
In ancient times, the primary purpose of the Path of Heart Refinement was to test the members of the twin-headed clan.
Only those powerful enough to reach the peak of the fourth stage and walk this path in one breath were qualified to receive the divine transformation resources from the twin-headed clan.
“Path of Heart Refinement.”
“Testing will and heart of dao.”
“So that’s it.”
After reading the stone tablet, understanding flashed in Liu Yu's eyes.
He had always wondered why passing through the Path of Heart Refinement was extremely difficult, yet seemingly devoid of danger; as long as one exited in time, they could retreat unscathed.
If it was merely a test, everything made sense.
“It seems my temperament and will have already reached the requirements to break through the divine transformation bottleneck.”
“With the assistance of spiritual objects like the Illusory Heart Flower, I should have a good chance of overcoming the heart demon trial during the divine transformation.”
Liu Yu thought to himself.
He had to admit that passing the test of the twin-headed clan’s Path of Heart Refinement had indeed yielded many benefits.
After enduring the trials of a thousand levels of the Path of Heart Refinement, he had a deep understanding of his shortcomings in temperament to avoid future calamities during the divine transformation.
Facing his own shortcomings, it was not too late to mend the fence after the sheep were lost.
There are no born saints; life is about growing through setbacks and suffering.
“Should I explore the forbidden land alone, or wait for Huang Mei and Mo Mei?”