Translator: Silavin
Upon entering the pavilion, a dazzling light made Qin Yichen squint his eyes. A faint sense of dizziness came over him, but this feeling lasted only for an instant before disappearing.
When he opened his eyes again, Qin Yichen found himself in a room.
*Whoosh! Whoosh!* With several sounds, Bian Lingzhu and other New Apprentices also appeared inside.
“So this is the Spiritual Refinement Array?”
Standing in the room, almost everyone felt a subtle oppressive force coming from all directions. Moreover, this oppressive force seemed unrelated to physical strength. It directly targeted one’s Soul.
As soon as they entered, five New Apprentices stumbled, nearly falling to the ground. They immediately activated their Spiritual Energy with red faces, resisting this pressure.
Qin Yichen looked ahead – about ten metres away in the room was a somewhat distorted light gate. That was the passage to the Second Layer of the Spiritual Refinement Array’s First Heaven.
Just by enduring this pressure and walking these ten metres to enter that light gate, one would pass the First Heaven First Layer of the Spiritual Refinement Array.
“This level of pressure can be handled by any Third Grade Alchemy Master. Not challenging at all.” Qin Yichen muttered to himself. While others were still adjusting to the pressure, he had already started walking toward the light gate.
“How reckless. Doesn’t he know it’s dangerous to rush in without adjusting during your first time in the Spiritual Refinement Array?” Bian Lingzhu rolled her eyes at Qin Yichen’s back, but then thought that since she had known him, he never seemed to follow the rules for anything…
“Qin Yichen!” Just as Qin Yichen reached the light gate and was about to enter, an angry shout echoed through the room. Huyuan Songqing and Du Yuanhong’s figures also appeared in the First Heaven First Layer.
“What are you barking about? Haiz. I just can’t be bothered with you!” Hearing Huyuan Songqing’s voice, Qin Yichen looked back and glanced at him, spat out these words, then stepped into the light gate, his figure instantly disappearing.
“Damn that bastard!” Huyuan Songqing trembled with anger. After glancing at Bian Lingzhu, he suppressed his rage and strode forward.
Seeing his state, the Two Stars Apprentice, Du Yuanhong, wanted to advise him but dared not speak up. He just followed closely behind.
*Whoosh!* After passing through the light gate, the spatial pressure increased, but Qin Yichen’s steps did not pause at all. With his Spiritual Energy cultivation being in the Spirit Realm, passing through the First Heaven, which only had pressure but no Spiritual Energy Attacks, was not hard at all.
Just as Qin Yichen’s foot stepped into the light gate leading to the Third Layer, Huyuan Songqing and Du Yuanhong appeared in the Second Layer.
“Stop!” Before Huyuan Songqing’s words could fully sound out, Qin Yichen’s figure had already disappeared from the Second Layer.
…
In the Third Layer, Huyuan Songqing could still only see Qin Yichen’s back…
Fourth Layer… Fifth Layer…
In just over a quarter hour, Qin Yichen had passed through the First Heaven Ninth Layer and entered the Second Heaven of the Spiritual Refinement Array.
*Hum…* Upon entering the Second Heaven, a subtle wave that could shake one’s Soul came rippling through.
[A Spiritual Energy Attack… I’ve been chased after long enough. Time to settle this farce.] With a thought, his Spiritual Energy enveloped him, and Qin Yichen blocked the Spiritual Energy Attack from the Second Heaven First Layer. However, this time he did not continue forward but stood quietly in place.
*Whoosh!* After about the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, as Qin Yichen expected, Huyuan Songqing brought Du Yuanhong rushing into the Second Heaven.
“Stop…” Just as they entered the Second Heaven, Huyuan Songqing habitually called out these words, then his pupils contracted as he was shocked to find Qin Yichen standing right beside him.
“You worthless thing, didn’t expect you could run so quickly. Why aren’t you running away anymore?” Huyuan Songqing coldly snorted, his eyes glaring sinisterly at Qin Yichen.
“Run? You already look like a defeated Dog. Seems like that brain of yours isn’t working.” Qin Yichen shrugged his shoulders and said with a light laugh.
The words ‘defeated Dog’ made Huyuan Songqing’s face flush between green and red. He waved at Du Yuanhong beside him and viciously roared. “Kill him!”
As soon as Huyuan Songqing’s words fell, a subtle wave emanated from Du Yuanhong’s body, and the aura of Spiritual Energy in the Spirit Realm quietly spread out.
In his view, the reason Qin Yichen stopped running here was because of the Spiritual Refinement Array.
In the Spiritual Refinement Array, the First Heaven was a threshold. From the Second Heaven onwards, one had to not only endure Spiritual Pressure but also resist Spiritual Energy Attacks from the Array.
And as one went further, these Spiritual Energy Attacks became more powerful. Even Du Yuanhong, who had been in the Alchemy Tower for three years, could only reach the Third Heaven. After all, from the Third Heaven onwards, the Spiritual Energy Attacks in the Array were equivalent to attacks from Spirit Realm experts.
“Time for you to die!” Du Yuanhong coldly roared, his Spiritual Energy howling out from his Divine Soul Bead, striking toward Qin Yichen’s Knowledge Sea.
Under Du Yuanhong’s cold gaze, just as he expected, because of the Second Heaven of the Spiritual Refinement Array, Qin Yichen had not reacted at all. His Spiritual Energy had easily already reached the latter’s face.
*Pa!* However, in the next instant, Du Yuanhong’s pupils suddenly contracted because he discovered his Spiritual Energy Attack seemed to hit an invisible wall, not reaching Qin Yichen’s Knowledge Sea at all!
“Tsk tsk, Huyuan Songqing, is this your helper? He is just as useless as you…” Having blocked Du Yuanhong’s Spiritual Energy Attack with just a thought, Qin Yichen shook his head as if quite disappointed and said with a light laugh.
“You… How could you be unaffected when it is your first time in the Spiritual Refinement Array?”
Seeing Qin Yichen easily block his Spiritual Energy Attack, Du Yuanhong shouted in disbelief. The next moment, the Spiritual Energy in his Divine Soul Bead moved with his thoughts, pouring out and carrying immense pressure as it struck again toward Qin Yichen’s Knowledge Sea.
Seeing his actions, a cold gleam flashed through Qin Yichen’s eyes.
He was not someone who enjoyed killing, but he also was not someone who would endure when others came to bully him.
*Whoosh!* With a sharp whistling sound, in the face of Huyuan Songqing’s somewhat pale expression, that deeply memorable and fearsome Spiritual Energy Attack howled forth.
[This level of Spiritual Energy mastery, could this kid have reached the Understanding Realm!?] At this moment, a terrifying thought flashed through Du Yuanhong’s mind. He wanted to resist with all his might, but unfortunately, he had already expended all his Spiritual Energy earlier.