Chapter 60: Chapter 60: Preparations Before Departure

Seeing Lin Xiao so dedicated to cultivation, the others in the sect couldn't help but also intensify their own practice.

Every night, Lin Xiao would rush through dinner, skip his bath, and use a dust-removal spell instead. He would then lock himself in his room and begin researching and creating new spells.

His goal was to create as many spells as possible to ensure their safety and survival in the secret realm. He didn't want them to be caught off guard without any means of protection.

Lin Xiao considered various scenarios and thought about what kinds of spells would be needed to handle them. Then, he created spells specifically for those situations.

Over the next few days, he created numerous spells. Some were useful, while others seemed less so—at least for now.

He categorized those spells as temporarily not useful because, while they were powerful and had great potential, Lin Xiao's current cultivation level wasn't high enough to utilize them effectively.

Eight days passed in a flash.

During this time, thanks to following Lin Xiao's lead, everyone in the sect had made significant progress in their cultivation.

The newest members—Yang Jinshu, Liu Shengsheng, and Lin Ying—had all reached the first level of Qi Refining.

However, aside from Lin Xiao and Sun Yigao, no one had surpassed the fourth level of Qi Refining.

Lin Xiao also noticed that a higher aptitude didn't necessarily equate to faster cultivation progress.

For instance, Jiang Youfu, who recently switched to cultivating the Ben Yuan Heart Sutra, showed remarkable improvement. Although he was one of the earliest members to join the sect, it hadn't been by much.

Yet, despite his aptitude being rated as "Better Than Most," Jiang Youfu had already advanced to the third level of Qi Refining, while most others were still hovering around the first and second levels.

After trying out the Ben Yuan Heart Sutra, many of them felt that they couldn't cultivate it effectively and chose to stick with the original Taoyuan Wankong Jue.

Currently, aside from Lin Xiao and Sun Yigao, only Jiang Youfu, Lin Yun, and Liu Yunan were cultivating the Ben Yuan Heart Sutra.

Jiang Youfu found the heart sutra quite suitable for him, so he quickly decided to switch to the technique created by his brother Lin Xiao.

Lin Yun and Liu Yunan felt that cultivating the Ben Yuan Heart Sutra wasn't much different from their previous technique, so they naturally opted for the higher-grade technique.

Lin Xiao had pondered this phenomenon. He believed that even though some people might have superior or inferior aptitudes, a technique that truly resonated with them could narrow the gap, or even allow them to surpass others.

This showed that aptitude wasn't the deciding factor in cultivation.

Lin Xiao could foresee a future in his sect where people wouldn't be judged solely by their aptitude. No one would feel like they had "lost the race before it even began."

He was pleased with this trend but also felt a heavier burden on his shoulders.

He needed to create more techniques that were suitable for everyone in the sect.

Sigh, being the sect master meant having endless responsibilities.

At times, Lin Xiao wished he could split himself in two—one half to focus on his cultivation and the other to manage the sect's affairs.

After eight days of diligent cultivation—during which Lin Xiao and Sun Yigao didn't even return home at night, choosing to sleep on the floor in the cultivation room—their efforts paid off.

Sun Yigao's cultivation level soared, reaching the seventh level of Qi Refining. Meanwhile, Lin Xiao successfully advanced to the eighth level, on the brink of breaking through to the ninth.

However, he couldn't deny that as his cultivation level increased, breakthroughs became slower.

During the same period, despite Lin Xiao utilizing both his idle cultivation function and personal efforts, he only managed to reach the eighth level, close to the ninth. Meanwhile, Sun Yigao had jumped four levels, from the third to the seventh.

Throughout this time, Lin Xiao had also been preoccupied with the strange sensation he had felt on the burial hill. He made two more trips to investigate, but still found nothing.

On the evening of the eighth day, after concluding their cultivation, Lin Xiao gathered everyone and announced, "Recently, our sect has gained access to a secret realm. This realm is only accessible to those in the Qi Refining stage. However, we don't yet know what the situation inside is like. Therefore, I've decided that Yigao and I will go in first to explore."

Hearing this, everyone was puzzled, as they didn't quite understand what a secret realm was. Even Sun Yigao, who had already been chosen, was unaware.

Everyone started questioning Lin Xiao.

Facing their confusion, Lin Xiao explained, "The secret realm... I'm not entirely sure what it's like, but you can think of it as a separate, small world. Inside, many things might be different from our world. It could be filled with unknown dangers or opportunities—or both.

Our mission this time is twofold: to explore the realm and gather information for future visits, and to see if we can bring back any resources the sect might need.

This realm doesn't open all the time. It can only be accessed between the seasons of Jingzhe and Lixia each year. Yigao and I won't be able to wait until next year, so we'll go in now to pave the way."

After listening to Lin Xiao, the usually quiet Lin Yun was the first to speak up, "But since you haven't been in before and don't know what's inside, what if something dangerous happens and you're in there without any help?"

Knowing his brother was concerned, Lin Xiao gave him a reassuring smile and said, "Don't worry, big brother. Since we have the key to this realm, we also have a way to leave. When we enter, the key will give each of us a one-time exit key. If we encounter danger, we can leave at any time."

Satisfied, Lin Yun nodded.

Lin Xiao then addressed the group, "Actually, the main reason I gathered you here isn't just to introduce the secret realm but to discuss something important."

He paused, making sure everyone was paying attention, and continued, "In two days, Yigao and I will enter the secret realm. We'll have twenty days before it closes. I don't know how long we'll stay inside—it could be a few days if it's small, or we might be there until the last day.

What I need from you during this time is to stay vigilant and keep an eye on the village."