Soon, another month passed.
10th January, Year 42021 of the Elemental Era
Ren Ying was now able to stay within the lake for an entire hour. His soul cultivation had also broken through to Rank 2!
Li Yuxong felt inferior as he looked at Ren Ying. When he had reached Rank 3, he could only stay for an hour. Even at the peak of Rank 3, he could manage only three hours.
Huang Ling was even more extreme. She could stay there for a month straight without rest or sleep, deep within the pool.
Huang Ling suddenly asked Ren Ying, "Why do you shout such filthy words in the lake?"
Ren Ying responded, "It helps clear the mind and stay longer. Once you distract yourself from the pain, you can endure more. If you keep thinking about the pain, you'll eventually run out of patience."
Li Yuxong had his pride. He didn't want to stoop so low as to use filthy words for cultivation.
Days passed, and months followed. Time flew like a breeze, and six more months passed.
2nd July, Year 42021 of the Elemental Era
Ren Ying had now reached Rank 4 in Soul Cultivation and could stay in the deepest part of the lake for a week!
He could feel that his body had begun to feel uncontrollable since his soul cultivation had surpassed his Warrior cultivation.
It was like typing on a keyboard too fast. What happens when your hands exceed the WPM limit of the keyboard? The keyboard can't keep up, and some characters are missed.
Another example: if someone's mind races faster than their hand can write, the writing becomes so poor it may no longer be recognizable as a language.
Similarly, Ren Ying's consciousness was moving too fast, and his body could not follow its orders, causing improper coordination between mind and body.
Ren Ying murmured, 'Coordination can be improved with practice, but this opportunity may not appear again.'
Meanwhile, Li Yuxong's soul cultivation had already reached Rank 5 early stage, and Huang Ling had reached Rank 6 late stage!
Ren Ying continued staying in the lake without stopping, taking minimal rest. Even Huang Ling and Li Yuxong, who treated him as an enemy, began to admire him.
Huang Ling sighed. "To gain what others cannot, we must do what others dare not."
Li Yuxong asked, "If you were in his place, could you do it?"
Huang Ling looked at him seriously and shook her head.
Li Yuxong felt deeply incompetent. "I can't even match my enemy?"
Huang Ling sighed. "You don't have to think about it. He is risking his life because he has no choice. For us, deep down, this opportunity isn't essential because we could practice without it. But think from his perspective—what would he think?"
Li Yuxong was surprised. "If I were him, I would want to maximize my soul cultivation too, because it's unlikely I'd get the chance again."
Huang Ling nodded. "Exactly. So you don't need to worry. Your talent is far greater than his."
Li Yuxong felt much better hearing that.
Four more months passed.
1st November, Year 42021 of the Elemental Era
Ren Ying's soul cultivation reached Rank 5 mid stage!
He opened his eyes and sighed. "Finally, Rank 5 mid stage. I want to continue, but it's unrealistic to keep pushing my soul cultivation, or I might not even live to see the real Inheritance."
He came out of the lake and thought, 'There are still six months before the Inheritance. Counting travel time and keeping some reserve for unexpected situations, I have four months.'
He looked at Huang Ling. "Help me practice."
Huang Ling questioned, "What do you mean?" Li Yuxong was also puzzled.
Ren Ying clarified, "I cannot fully control my body, so I want you to fight with me. Don't go too heavy—just enough to simulate Rank 2 battle strength."
Huang Ling looked at him. "You can use Li Yuxong for practice; he's only Rank 4."
Ren Ying shook his head. "I don't trust him. He's a madman. He'd rather die with me than let me survive."
Huang Ling nodded.
Li Yuxong continued his soul cultivation, occasionally practicing with Huang Ling, since his soul cultivation had also surpassed his Warrior cultivation.
Ren Ying's perseverance taught Li Yuxong much. He began working hard like him. This is human nature: humans learn from their environment and improve through experience.
Three months later,
1st February, Year 42022 of the Elemental Era
Ren Ying looked at his body and nodded in satisfaction. "Earlier than expected."
Though it seemed long for someone to adapt to their body, upon reflection, it made sense.
If you are fighting an enemy and notice a weakness, you target it, right? But with this abnormal gap between soul and body, before his body could react, the weakness might vanish, while the body still followed outdated instructions. The result? Instead of exploiting the weakness, the opponent could counterattack.
Thus, he needed to adapt, slowing down his dynamic perception to match his body's reaction.
He glanced at his cultivation and murmured, "I can reach Rank 3 soon."
In these three months, he not only focused on adapting his body but also continued cultivating.
Meanwhile, Li Yuxong and Huang Ling were practicing.
Suddenly, Li Yuxong said, "I'm alright now." Huang Ling looked puzzled.
Li Yuxong repeated, "I can feel it—I can cure my poison now." Huang Ling was surprised and happy. "But I thought it would take a while?"
Li Yuxong nodded. "My soul cultivation improved, enhancing the Spiritual Imprint's ability."
"We can kill him now," she said sharply.
Li Yuxong's eyes also turned sharp. "Now is not the time."
Huang Ling asked, "Why?"
Li Yuxong said, "I remember something he said once: 'If you have a grudge with an enemy and are strong enough, don't attack immediately. Wait. Let them have hope, then crush it, destroying all their expectations.'"
Huang Ling felt uneasy but nodded.
She looked at Ren Ying in the distance, leisurely cultivating with Spirit Stones, unaware of the danger looming over him.
Region Number 14
Wang Xueyao opened her eyes and sighed. "It's getting harder and harder to break through. Even without a bottleneck, I still need to accumulate energy for a long time. Even with sufficient Spirit Stones, absorption is slow. Three years have passed, and I still haven't reached Rank 6 mid stage!"
It was time to set off.
She emerged from the cave and went straight to a camp. A man in a blue robe greeted her.
"Ask everyone to prepare. We leave now," she ordered.
Azure Faction
Li Cheng gathered everyone. Li Ming stood beside him, now a tall man with long hair and traces of a mustache. He had reached Rank 3 mid stage Warrior, while Li Cheng had reached Rank 5 early stage.
Wang Haoran and his protector Wang Jun were also present. Wang Haoran had reached Rank 3 late stage, and Wang Jun was still Rank 4 peak stage.
Wang Jun and Li Cheng were leading the Azure Faction this time. Li Cheng shouted, "We've received news that the factions of Jade Harbor City have fought among themselves and weakened considerably. The Inheritance is a rare opportunity. But don't risk your lives—protecting yourself is the first priority!"
He continued. "Remember, protecting your own life is not cowardice; and gambling it recklessly is not bravery."
Region 9
Ren Ying opened his eyes. 'Within one month, I must prepare everything.'
Suddenly, he felt something and took out his communication token. It was from Tang Liuyue. She had tried contacting him several times over the past year, but he had been focused on cultivation and ignored her.
This time, he accepted it. A voice came through: "Big brother Ren, where are you? Are you alright? Do you know how worried I've been since your connection went off…?"
Hearing the flood of questions, Ren Ying felt warmth inwardly. "I was stuck somewhere and couldn't respond. Forgive me."
Tang Liuyue scolded gently, "At least you could have informed me. Do you know how worried I was?"
Ren Ying nodded. "Yes, yes. It was my mistake. I promise it won't happen again."
She asked, "Brother Ren, are you coming for the Inheritance?"
Ren Ying replied firmly, "Yes, I will definitely come."
"When?" she asked.
"Within two months," he answered.
Tang Liuyue continued talking, and Ren Ying replied patiently.
Huang Ling, peeking from behind a rock, was surprised. "He's not completely heartless."
Li Yuxong countered, "He's probably playing with her feelings." Huang Ling remained silent, seeming to agree.
Huang Ling looked at Li Yuxong and suddenly asked, "The Inheritance will be over soon. What do you think?"
Li Yuxong was puzzled. "What do you mean?"
Huang Ling glared at him and sighed, "What about us? I can no longer be the saintess of my sect, and I might even be punished. But I'm worried about you—they might target you!"
Ren Ying, who appeared silently, advised, "You're overthinking. They won't do anything."
Huang Ling asked, "How do you know? And when did you arrive?"
Ren Ying smiled mysteriously. "Just let your husband reveal his talent. They'll want to recruit him rather than target him." He paused. "Are you the only one allowed to peek?"
Li Yuxong's face changed. 'Did he notice that too?'
Ren Ying didn't bother with him. His gaze was distant as he began calculating his advantages and disadvantages in the Inheritance.
He recalled the past few years of his journey and sighed. 'Fate may scatter the seeds, but effort is what makes the garden flourish.'