Chapter 181: Chapter 148: Heart Inquiry Trial

Zhan Tianxia paid no mind to her status, giving her a cool glance before looking away.

Dai Zichen, however, was getting antsy. ’Her status is extraordinary. If anything happens to her during this trial, my career in the Sect will be over.’ He said in a deep voice, "Qingxue, step down at once."

Xia Qingxue calmly shook her head, her voice cool. "It’s fine. I know my limits."

"Young people need to be tempered. Don’t coddle them like precious treasures. You lot, go and give it a try." Old Ghost Bai was happy to see this development and also sent the Celestial Vein Sect disciples who had accompanied him to participate.

The Sect had far too little intelligence on Xia Qingxue, so this was a perfect opportunity to probe her true abilities.

Dai Zichen snorted coldly and gave a meaningful look. The Golden Crow Sect disciples present rose to their feet and gathered around Xia Qingxue. No matter what the trial entailed, there was always safety in numbers.

With them taking the lead, those who had been hesitant now came forward, ready to participate in the trial.

After all, since the core disciples of both the Golden Crow Sect and the Celestial Vein Sect were participating, there was no reason for them to back down.

A moment later, all the Cultivators intending to participate had gathered, standing just over thirty feet from Zhan Tianxia and quietly awaiting his instructions.

Zhan Tianxia looked at the few people who remained in their original spots and said coldly, "Those not participating in the trial can leave now. There will be no Dao discussion today."

The few of them exchanged glances, but no one dared to object. Ultimately, they had no choice but to exit the great hall.

As the main figures of this Dao discussion, Dai Zichen and Old Ghost Bai were somewhat displeased by his arbitrary decision. But Zhan Tianxia was a notorious brute, and a powerful one at that, so the two of them could only hold their tongues.

They had no intention of leaving, either. They remained seated, wanting to see who would win the precious Green Sky White Jade Pill. Naturally, each hoped his own disciples would be the ones to claim it.

But none of those present were weak, so the final outcome was hard to predict.

Zhan Tianxia couldn’t have cared less what they thought. They could watch if they wanted, as long as they didn’t bother him.

He took a step forward and announced loudly, "The trial begins now. If you can’t handle it, withdraw on your own."

With that, he waved his hand, and the doors to the great hall slammed shut. Then, dozens of black Triangular Brocade Banners shot out from his sleeves, circling above everyone’s heads. 𝚏𝗿𝗲𝐞𝐰𝚎𝕓𝐧𝚘𝘃𝗲𝐥.𝐜𝚘𝕞

’Is the trial related to Arrays?’ It suddenly occurred to Song Changsheng that this Second City Lord wasn’t just a battle maniac—he was also one of the few Tier Three Array Masters in the entire Daqi Cultivation World!

As the Array Banners danced in the air, Thunder Serpents coiled and surged among them. Under Zhan Tianxia’s control, the banners swiftly sank into the hall’s floor. With no other visible action from him, spiderweb-like Array Patterns rapidly materialized beneath everyone’s feet, connecting all the Array Banners.

The longer Song Changsheng looked at the Array, the more familiar it seemed. The instant it finished forming, inspiration struck, and he blurted out, "The Heart Inquiry Array?"

He made no attempt to hide his voice, and everyone around him cast astonished glances his way. After all, the Heart Inquiry Array was no ordinary Array.

For a Cultivator to break through to a higher realm, two factors are crucial. The first is one’s Cultivation. Cultivation is a broad concept that encompasses multiple elements, such as Spiritual Power and Divine Sense. Song Changsheng, for example, currently has an Early-stage Foundation Establishment Cultivation.

The other is the Mental Realm, which can also be described as one’s comprehension of their own Dao.

If a Cultivator is at the Mid-stage Foundation Establishment realm, but their Mental Realm is only at the Early-stage Foundation Establishment level, it means they used some kind of shortcut to advance forcefully. This not only affects their combat power but also damages their foundation.

If their realm and Mental Realm are at the same level, it means they have hit a bottleneck. They must raise their Mental Realm level before they can break through to the next realm.

Conversely, if someone is at the Early to Mid-stage Foundation Establishment realm but their Mental Realm is at Foundation Establishment Great Perfection, then as long as their Cultivation keeps up, they can break through all the way to Foundation Establishment Great Perfection without any bottlenecks.

Thus, the level of one’s Mental Realm is extremely important. This is the logic behind the principle, "To cultivate the Dao, one must first cultivate the heart." Unfortunately, disciples from minor factions and Loose Cultivators often lack this foresight, focusing only on advancing their Cultivation Realm while neglecting to temper their Mental Realm.

Disciples from major powers are aware of the need to temper their Mental Realm, but the process is inefficient. Thus, some Great Power created the Heart Inquiry Array to help Cultivators do just that.

This is, in truth, a kind of shortcut. A single misstep can damage one’s Dao Heart. While not life-threatening, recovery requires at least ten days to half a month. In severe cases, it can even take several years to fully recover.

But with risk comes reward; danger and opportunity go hand in hand. The Heart Inquiry Array is typically divided into several levels. For each level you pass, your Mental Realm is elevated by a corresponding level.

Although this Array is renowned, very few people have actually seen it. This is because it places extremely high demands on the Mental Realm of the one who sets it up; otherwise, it will not have the desired tempering effect.

That was why everyone was so doubtful when they heard Song Changsheng name the Array.

But Song Changsheng had no obligation to remind or explain anything to them. Having confirmed that this was the Heart Inquiry Array, he had already begun to make his preparations.

The Heart Inquiry Array is, in essence, a type of Illusion Array. It creates countless Illusion Realms to temper your Mental Realm. If you can see through the illusions, your Mental Realm will be elevated. If you cannot, you will become lost within them, and your Dao Heart will be damaged.