Chapter 29 Another Six Years Passed, And He Reached The True Spirit Realm

• Fang Jie, a freelance cultivator from Jujiao City, stepped forward as Tan Xuan landed, bowing deeply. "Congratulations on your breakthrough, Daoist Brother!" "Zhu Mingqiu, also a freelance cultivator. Heartfelt congratulations," said a middle-aged man with a genial face. "Gu Qianhan, disciple of Flying Snow Sect. May your Daoist arts flourish," another chimed in. A dozen cultivators surrounded Tan Xuan the moment he touched down in Crackwind Valley. He understood their motives—either his status as a Luo Shui Sect disciple or the potential he'd just displayed made them eager to forge connections. Having lived on Earth, Tan Xuan knew well that friends outweighed enemies, a truth that held here too. He exchanged polite pleasantries before soaring into the ancient forest. "Slash!" Floating mid-air, Tan Xuan swiped downward. A cyan-edged wind blade ten zhang long sliced through the air, tearing the void with a cloth-ripping sound. Dozens of ancient trees, thick as a man's embrace, collapsed in succession. "Feng Lingzi, what level is this attack?" Tan Xuan asked expectantly. "Roughly equivalent to True Spirit Third Stratum," the old spirit replied. Joy surged in Tan Xuan. He'd only channeled wind spirit power without invoking the "Fallen Leaf Sandstorm Realm"—engaging that would multiply his combat power severalfold. Combined with the true qi from *Youhai True Scripture*, his overall strength likely reached True Spirit Fifth Stratum. "Time to hunt demons," he thought, diving into the forest. Returning to the site of his first Crimson Blood Poison Scorpion kill, he spotted several scorpions feasting. This time, he didn't ambush them. Instead, he revealed himself and slashed at one with his sword. "Kill!" His eyes glinted coldly as he vanished, reappearing beneath a scorpion at an impossible angle. Nine black water streams erupted, forming a massive spiral column that crashed into the beast. The scorpion's twin tails sheared through the water like scissors, while three others charged him as pitch-black lights. Smiling, Tan Xuan sank into the "Fallen Leaf Sandstorm Realm". He flitted like a leaf in the wind, moving erratically as the scorpions' attacks sliced through empty air. With a hum of his sword, a storm of tiny wind blades pierced a scorpion's abdomen, exploding within and painting the void with blood. In mere breaths, the remaining scorpions fell. But as their bodies hit the ground, a tide of Crimson Blood Poison Scorpions emerged from the earth, grass, and roots, their red eyes fixed on him. "Ha! This is thrilling!" Tan Xuan laughed, charging into the swarm. Phantoms of his form flickered wildly, each unleashing wind blades and torrents that sent scorpions flying. His sword found every vulnerable abdomen, and within a quarter of an hour, the ground lay littered with corpses. "Ugh, so many scorpions—time for a feast!" Feng Lingzi cheered, emerging from the bronze scroll. Tan Xuan rolled his eyes, ignoring the old spirit as he sat among the bodies, recalling the battle to absorb experience. Half a cup of tea later, he rose, mind sharpened. Years passed as Tan Xuan immersed himself in the forest's trials, surviving countless battles and near-death experiences. Before he knew it, six years had flown by. Standing on a barren mountaintop, Tan Xuan looked every bit a wild hermit—disheveled hair, tattered robes, and starlight in his eyes. Six years of bloodshed had imbued him with an ironclad aura, the stench of blood lingering due to his incomplete mastery. His understanding of the "Fallen Leaf Sandstorm Realm" had deepened, making his movements as ghostly as the wind. And *Youhai True Scripture* was ready for another breakthrough. Taking a deep breath, he sat cross-legged, entering a state of absolute tranquility. Feng Lingzi emerged, scanning the surroundings to guard him. Rumbling filled the air as Tan Xuan circulated his mana. A black water stream surged through his meridians, lighting up acupoints. Suddenly, his essence, qi, and spirit emerged from his "Mysterious Pass," each forming a transparent lotus. His heart, liver, kidneys, lungs, and spleen released five colored qi streams that converged above his head as a multicolored cloud. "Three Flowers Gathering at the Top, Five Qis Returning to the Origin!" This was the omen of True Spirit condensation. The three lotuses merged with the cloud, trembling violently. A wisp of translucent light rose, sucking in spiritual qi from a hundred zhang around. Moments later, the flowers dispersed, the qi returned, and the newly formed True Spirit sank into his sea of consciousness. "So this is True Spirit Realm." Tan Xuan pointed dozens of zhang away. Water vapor condensed into dark clouds, pouring rain. With a reverse palm strike, the clouds formed a zhang-sized hand that slammed into the ground, leaving a deep imprint.