Chapter 615: Advancement in Cultivation

Lin Xuan’s display had gone dark. Something had indeed gone wrong on his end. After he absorbed the five drops of Phoenix Essence Blood, the room was filled with such rampant Fire Elemental Power that it interfered with the monitoring system. It was quite normal for his feed to be temporarily unavailable.

Since they couldn’t see him, the others stopped paying attention to Lin Xuan and turned their gazes to the other participants, focusing on the progress of their own people.

It was easy to tell which gate a participant had passed by looking at the display. A gem would light up for each gate cleared. The first gate lit up the first gem, the second gate lit up the second, and so on.

Some participants had already passed the second gate and smoothly entered the third. Others were eliminated one after another while attempting the second gate. Worse still, some had failed right after completing the first trial, struck by the Fire Elemental Power from the Stone Slab, which caused their meridians to burst, leading to their defeat.

All sorts of outcomes were possible. Only a fraction of the participants were actually able to advance, so the situation was growing grim.

It was a scene of both joy and sorrow. For those who successfully reached the third gate, it meant they had a greater chance of success.

However, most eyes were fixed on Bingxin and the Fire Phoenix King. They were the true protagonists of this contest. Only one of them could obtain the Heart of the Fire Phoenix; the others were merely spectators.

Both women had now smoothly advanced to the third gate. With their formidable Cultivation, they were steamrolling their way through. If Lin Xuan could see them, he would realize their third gate was the very same place he had faced in his first—an area teeming with Parasol Tree Monsters.

Bingxin was diligently slaying the Parasol Tree Monsters. With her Ice Flame ability, she could instantly kill them with ease. However, these Parasol Tree Monsters were different; their Cultivation was at the Core Formation Stage Level, a full level higher than the ones Lin Xuan had faced.

Crucially, they received very little Energy for their efforts. Even after killing a Core Formation Stage Parasol Tree Monster, they only gained a tiny amount of Red Energy. This demonstrated the principle of the trials: the higher one’s Cultivation upon entry, the greater the difficulty.

While they were competing against each other, Lin Xuan remained in his chamber, continuing to absorb the Phoenix Essence Blood. With every bit he absorbed, the concentration of the Phoenix Essence Blood within his body grew stronger.

Time flew by, day after day. The other participants progressed through their trials at a crawl. Most had to sit down cross-legged to recover, as the toll was simply too great. They needed to rest properly.

As more time passed, more people were eliminated. Clearly, one needed true strength to claim the ultimate prize.

Yet, while so many had successfully advanced to the third gate, Lin Xuan remained stuck on the second. Crucially, with his display still dark, no one had any idea what was happening to him.

“It’s been a full five days. Others have already reached the fourth gate, so why is Lin Xuan still on the second? Can he not pass it?” Jin Wei frowned. ‘Something’s not right,’ he thought. ‘No one else is having this issue, so why is it only affecting Lin Xuan?’

“That’s possible. It’s also possible he’s severely injured and has been healing inside this whole time. That’s not out of the question,” the Fox King added, also frowning, a sense of unease growing.

Jin Wei immediately turned to the Phoenix Race Elder and asked, “Has this ever happened in the Phoenix Ruins before?”

The Phoenix Race Elder shook his head. “No, this is the first time something like this has happened. Perhaps something interfered with the system. However, one thing is certain: he has not passed the second gate. He’s been stuck there the entire time. We just don’t know why.”

“Is there even a question? He’s obviously severely injured and hiding in there to heal!” Hei Chen sneered from the sidelines. “Did you think defeating two members of my Black Dragon Race would be that easy? I’d say there’s an eighty percent chance he’s on the verge of death in there, just stubbornly clinging to life. It’s completely meaningless!”

Jin Wei’s expression darkened. ‘That’s actually possible.’ Although Lin Xuan had defeated the disciples from the Black Dragon Race, it didn’t mean he had emerged unscathed.

While the outside world buzzed with speculation about whether Lin Xuan was dead or alive, he finally awoke from his deep meditation inside the chamber. As he slowly opened his eyes, two beams of red light shot forth!

Huo Qingling, who was watching from nearby, couldn’t help but gasp in astonishment. “What a powerful aura! He actually absorbed it all, without wasting a single drop… This is truly unbelievable.”

HUFF…

Lin Xuan let out a long breath, feeling his entire body overflowing with power. His Cultivation had leaped from the Fifth Layer Spirit Pill Stage all the way to the Seventh Layer in a single go! He had jumped two entire levels, and he felt he could have pushed even higher.

However, he temporarily suppressed the urge. He couldn’t allow himself to break through so many levels at once, as it could easily lead to an unstable foundation. Besides, jumping two levels was already a terrifying feat. Others spent years to advance a single level, yet he had broken through two in a mere five days!

He hadn’t completely absorbed the five drops of Essence Blood; some still remained in his body. After all, this was equivalent to the Essence Blood of half a Phoenix. How could he possibly absorb it all in such a short time?

When Lin Xuan stood up, the surrounding Fire Elemental Power danced joyfully around him. This was due to the influence of the Phoenix Essence Blood in his body, which instinctively drew the Fire Elemental Power closer—a sign of natural affinity.

This proved that the concentration of Phoenix Essence Blood in his body had reached a very high level. With this, he was certain he could elevate his Phoenix Martial Arts to a whole new level.

“Phoenix Essence Blood is just incredible! To raise my Cultivation so much in one go, this trip was definitely worth it!” Lin Xuan’s eyes shone with delight. With this increase in his Cultivation, there were so many more things he could now accomplish.

“I can’t believe you actually absorbed it all. I’m quite envious…” Huo Qingling said, shaking her head. “You can proceed to the next gate now. You’ve delayed for quite a while. Everyone else came here to pass the trials, but you decided to start a Cultivation session instead. If you keep dragging this out, the trials will end before you even make it outside.”

“Well, it’s not like I was going to get the Heart of the Fire Phoenix anyway. I’m happy to take whatever benefits I can get. I’m not the type to fight over every little advantage,” Lin Xuan said with a smile.

“Alright, alright, stop acting coy after getting such a huge advantage. I’d rather not deal with challengers like you. I guess it’s just my bad luck,” Huo Qingling said with a sigh.

“In that case, I thank you for this opportunity, Senior. I’ll head to the next gate now.” Lin Xuan cupped his fists gratefully. He was truly thankful for receiving such a great benefit.

Huo Qingling nodded. With a light wave of her hand, a beam of light enveloped Lin Xuan. In the blink of an eye, he vanished and was sent to the next gate.