Enduring the agony of being burned by raging flames while also having to concentrate on absorbing the spiritual energy of heaven and earth—such torment is unimaginable to ordinary people. However, William Clark, relying on sheer tenacity, managed to persevere.

Flames licked at his skin, and William Clark's teeth clenched so hard they made cracking sounds. The pain eventually turned numb, but the spiritual energy here was indeed abundant, and the absorption rate was several times faster than outside.

Although it was an illusion, the sensation was like a real purgatory, tempering William Clark's willpower.

Absorbing the spiritual energy into the body was only the first step. Next, he had to use the secret techniques taught by his sect to refine it one by one. There was a lot of loss in this process—usually, after absorbing hundreds of milliliters of spiritual energy, only a strand as thin as a hair could be refined into spiritual power.

Then, the acquired spiritual power had to be circulated through the eight extraordinary meridians and finally stored in the dantian.

Even for someone with a strong mind, completing the entire process amidst raging flames was impossible. William Clark held on for five minutes before his endurance reached its limit. He stood up and ran out as fast as he could. Once he left the area rich in spiritual energy, the fiery illusion vanished as well.

“Just as the legends say.” William Clark checked his whole body—there wasn’t a single mark, but the pain of being burned by the flames was still fresh in his memory.

Though it was tough, it was worth it. The spiritual power here was not only highly concentrated but also extremely pure. Training here yielded twice the results with half the effort, greatly increasing the hope of breaking through his bottleneck.

After resting for a while, William Clark stepped forward again. The flames reappeared, and he endured the burning pain to continue absorbing spiritual energy.

When his endurance reached its limit, he would run out to rest for a while. Once his strength recovered, he would re-enter the fiery illusion.

In this way, over and over, William Clark relied on his willpower to diligently cultivate on the Path of Tempering the Heart.

……

Several days passed, and his spiritual power finally made some progress. Although the gains were still small compared to his efforts, it was much faster than cultivating outside.

At this rate, as long as he persisted, he should be able to reach the second level of the Spirit Movement stage.

Silently calculating his cultivation progress, William Clark stood up. He had already spent four days on the Path of Tempering the Heart and should go out for a look. First, after several days of sleepless cultivation amidst the flames, his body had reached its limit. Second, today was the day the instructor would teach cultivation techniques.

According to the rules of Floating Cloud Valley, every four days, a Foundation Establishment expert would teach the Spirit Movement disciples. With guidance from a master, one could avoid many detours in cultivation, so William Clark naturally wouldn’t miss such an opportunity.

Following the passage, William Clark came outside. Unlike before, he happened to encounter a Foundation Establishment cultivator.

“Martial Uncle!”

“You…” The man glanced at William Clark, his face full of surprise. “You went to the Path of Tempering the Heart?”

“Yes, Martial Uncle.”

After the two parted, the Foundation Establishment cultivator was still a bit dazed. Although the illusion wouldn’t cause real harm, the sensations were exactly the same as reality. For a disciple at the early Spirit Movement stage to endure it—this one’s willpower was truly astonishing.

Cultivation requires not only spiritual roots but also a strong mind. This disciple named William Clark was indeed remarkable!

Chapter 3: Bitter Cultivation in the Illusory Realm

The Young Eagle Pavilion was a grand and imposing building. The Qi Training Hall alone covered several thousand square meters and was the place where Spirit Movement disciples practiced. At this moment, dozens of people stood in the spacious hall, their figures indistinct.

It was still early, and the Foundation Establishment cultivator responsible for teaching had not yet arrived. The disciples gathered in small groups, chatting about things that interested them.

William Clark quietly went to a less crowded corner, sat cross-legged, and planned to cultivate a bit more while there was still time. Just then, the sound of footsteps reached his ears.

“Heh, isn’t this Junior Brother Clark?”

“I heard you went into seclusion to cultivate recently, but still haven’t broken through to the second level?”

The teasing voices were laced with mockery. William Clark frowned slightly, but his expression remained calm. In the eyes of mortals, cultivators were ethereal beings, their magic profound, as if untouched by the mundane world. In reality, that was just an illusion.

The world of cultivation was even more ruthless, realistic, and utilitarian than the secular world!

Here, it wasn’t about money, but strength as the foundation of power.

Whoever had the higher realm, the better magic treasures, the more pills—he was the boss, and his words were law.

In three years, despite William Clark working harder than others, the defect of having no spiritual root left him far behind his peers, subjecting him to much cold treatment.

“Hmph, just a mortal without spiritual roots. No matter how hard you try, you can’t compare to us. Instead of embarrassing yourself in the sect, you’d be better off leaving.”

“Yeah, three years and you still haven’t broken through to the second level of the Spirit Movement stage. You’re just a waste.”

……

Facing the ridicule of his senior brothers, William Clark didn’t even blink, his expression unchanged. They were just a few boring people. Giving them a cold glance, William Clark walked to the side.

He wasn’t angry—not out of weakness or fear, but because such shallow people simply weren’t worth it. William Clark would not let a few words affect his state of mind.