The single sentence directly affirmed her motive. No matter how she explained it, or even swore by the heavens, no one would believe her. That helplessness and panic threw her mind into disarray, her cultivation stagnated, until her powers were crippled and she was expelled from the Misty Sect, enduring all sorts of humiliation. If not for that pill from Peak Master Hua, she would have likely died long ago.
Her thoughts returned, and Jin Bao'er looked at the palm rushing towards her, her eyes filled with unwillingness and humiliation. It was nothing like the panic and terror from her memories!
Hah… it was merely an illusion! Even if her current cultivation was insufficient, one day, she would become the most dazzling powerhouse in the entire cultivation world!
The next second, the young girl raised her head. Her delicate face, still bearing a hint of youthfulness, was filled with bone-chilling coldness. Her thin lips parted, without the slightest hesitation.
"Scram!"
As her words fell, the "Immortal Venerable Lou Yun" before her, perhaps sensing the girl's determination and forbearance, froze for a moment before instantly dissipating. The surrounding scene also reverted…
The first trial! Passed!
As she lifted her steps again, the staircase ahead gradually became clear. After only a few steps, the surrounding scene changed again. Piles of splendor and crystal beast cores were enough to make anyone gape in astonishment.
One had to know that high-grade beast cores came from the power source of formidable demonic beasts. The powerful spiritual energy contained within could heal cultivators, enhance their cultivation, fortify formations, and even resist the attacks of some powerful beings!
Tens of thousands of beast cores before her were practically equivalent to a continent's protective barrier! After all, beyond the cultivation world, there were other unknown worlds, such as the Nether Ghost Continent and the Elf race, which she had heard of in her past life…
And between each continent, there was their own set of independent isolation barriers. The cultivation world was just one of them.
Jin Bao'er merely glanced casually at her surroundings before striding forward again, unmoved by the temptation before her!
What a joke! If she dared to pick up even a single beast core, she would probably be kicked out the next second!
As the end gradually came into view, a white mist rolled in, and the illusion reached its final stage…
Power!
In a daze, she stood atop a lofty peak. Below her stood all the powerful beings she had seen in her past life. Immortal Venerable Lou Yun, in the Nascent Soul stage, was among them, his demeanor full of doting affection. As for those in the Soul Transformation stage, they were all respectful…
She stopped, a hint of surprise flashing in her eyes. In her past life, this third trial illusion should have been when she broke through her limits and ascended to the heavens in broad daylight!
Could it be that illusions changed based on each person's inner desires? No wonder the first trial was that scene.
This time, she lowered her gaze, looking at the formerly unreachable Immortal Venerable Lou Yun, her thoughts in turmoil! In her past life, how she had longed for that person to look at her like this, but each time she was met with disappointment, only to try harder, be disappointed again, and so on!
"Fear? Greed? Power? Do you think I need these?"
A mocking voice suddenly arrived. The young girl atop the peak slightly nodded, her eyes clear and bright, filled with absolute determination and sarcasm!
"You are mistaken! The power I seek is absolute strength! Even if the path ahead is arduous, even if I suffer all sorts of torment…"
Her tone shifted, and her aura surged instantly around the girl, her voice powerful and arrogant!
"My heart is my strength! Unbreakable!"
The resounding voice echoed in the surroundings for a long time, as if swearing an oath. No one knew that at this moment, she had taken the first step on the path of a true powerhouse!
In an instant, everything froze at this moment. Below, everyone gradually distorted…
At the same time, a inherited cultivation technique surged from the immortal mansion into Jin Bao'er's mind. A faint white light enveloped her. In a daze, she seemed to hear a sigh of contentment…
Jin Bao'er closed her eyes slightly, digesting the information she had just received. Besides the inherited cultivation technique, there were also some fragmented memories. It turned out that the immortal mansion was left behind by a powerful being who had ascended to the upper realm. The Golden Phoenix Egg was the only child of his beast pet, the divine beast Heavenly Pool Golden Phoenix. When he ascended, because the Golden Phoenix Egg had no cultivation and had not yet hatched, he could only leave it in the lower realm. To find a reliable owner for it, the powerful being deliberately set up three trials of illusion to search for a destined person!
Although she found the Golden Phoenix Egg in her past life, due to an unstable Dao heart, she was solely focused on pleasing Su Xianzhi and Immortal Venerable Lou Yun. She could not gain the immortal mansion's recognition at all, which was why she didn't receive the inheritance and memories.
In short, she took care of someone else's child until their ascension, allowing mother and child to reunite. The powerful being gave her the inheritance and the immortal mansion as a reward… mutually beneficial! Neither owed the other.
Thinking of this, she sighed slightly. What a considerate and reciprocal powerful being! But if the immortal mansion acknowledged her, why didn't she feel it recognizing her as its master?
The white light dispersed, and the next second, a huge gust of wind created a vortex. The sudden tremor of the immortal mansion startled Jin Bao'er, and she had no time to be surprised as she accelerated forward. Soon, she saw the Golden Phoenix Egg she had found in her past life! And beside it, that gaudy and quiet pearl…
Without time to examine them closely, she collected them and turned to run. After all, the giant stone array had depleted her spiritual energy, and if she didn't run, she would likely be buried in the immortal mansion! She couldn't help but complain inwardly, the inheritance didn't mention that the immortal mansion would have earthquakes! Was this powerful being reliable at all!?
Fortunately, she had trained her body for a period under her senior brother's guidance, and her physical condition was much better than in her past life. She soon rushed out.
Li Qingjiu, who had just woken up on the ground and hadn't recovered his senses, was pulled by Jin Bao'er and they fled frantically…
"Brother Jin… slow down! What are you running from? What happened?"
As he spoke, he finally noticed the surroundings shaking as if an earthquake was imminent. His eyes widened in shock!
"Ah!! An earthquake is coming! Run!"
The sharp cry was unbearable to her ears. Before Jin Bao'er could even utter the word "shut up," a large hand gripped her shoulder. A surge of spiritual energy flashed, and the two instantly vanished from their spot…
A gust of wind ruffled her hair. After running for an unknown amount of time, the two suddenly stumbled, their bodies plummeting straight down. Before they could land, the overwhelming floral scent and dense spiritual energy rushed towards Jin Bao'er!
Her once-parched dantian felt like a ravenous beast, madly devouring the surrounding spiritual energy. In less than the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, Jin Bao'er was filled…
Her spirit and stamina also returned to normal. In surprise, a sea of flowers appeared before her. Not far away, several large trees swayed in the wind. Everything looked perfectly normal, if one overlooked the spiritual energy so dense it was almost visible!
"This… this is? A Spiritual Sea?"
Li Qingjiu's stammering voice reached her ears. Jin Bao'er quickly snapped out of her surprise. She knew there was an immortal mansion within the secret realm, but she truly hadn't expected there to be a spiritual sea…
"Heavens, heavens! Hundred-year Falling Cherry Blossom? Thousand-year Tan Ning Grass? And this… what kind of tree is it? Such potent spiritual energy!"
Li Qingjiu excitedly looked at one flower in the sea of blossoms, then another, his eyes filled with unspeakable astonishment and joy! As if he had discovered a great treasure!
Jin Bao'er also recognized a few uncommon spiritual herbs, including the Mu Ling Flower, which she had searched for so long in the previous ancient forest to find just one. She wondered if it was because the secret realm was rich in spiritual energy that even these environmentally picky flowers had grown in large patches! Moreover, they were of even greater age, seemingly retaining their blooming splendor…