A Second Attempt

After what felt like an eternity, Liang finally opened his eyes."To think it took me five years just to cultivate the first stage."

Indeed, it had been almost five arduous years since he started cultivating in the consciousness cleansing stage. Five years filled with pain and exhaustion, to the point where he had almost fainted from the sheer agony.

However, he couldn't deny that it hadn't been in vain. His mind now felt clearer, as if a veil had been lifted, revealing a newfound understanding of the Dao. With each passing second, his improvement was becoming more apparent.

Almost all of his regrets, negative thoughts, and accumulated emotions from the past years had vanished, as if they had never existed in the first place.

He could feel his Divine sense now more powerful than before, although improvement is not that obvious, but it's still an improvement.

Just as he was about to return to his cultivation, he suddenly remembered something.

He looked toward a certain corner of the cave, seeing the figure sitting in a meditative pose, his brow frowning slightly as he thought, "What happened to the brat? His injury doesn't seem to be that light."

After some thought, he decided not to interrupt him...

****

In the depths of the cave, Liang took a deep breath as he prepared himself for the next stage of Void Form Refining Art, the Ethereal Integration stage. He closed his eyes and focused his mind. He entered a state of deep concentration, allowing his consciousness to merge with the ethereal energies that filled the surroundings.

As he delved deeper into this stage of cultivation, he could feel the presence of various types of energy swirling around him. Yang Qi, vibrant and fiery, flowed in waves, carrying with it a sense of strength and vitality. It surged through the cave walls, illuminating the darkness and infusing Liang Yifei's body with a renewed sense of power.

Contrasting with Yang Qi, Yin Qi exuded a cool and calming aura. It resonated with the stillness of the cave, providing a soothing energy that balanced the fiery nature of the Yang Qi. Liang could feel this Yin Qi creeping into his consciousness, bringing a sense of tranquility and harmony.

In addition to the Yang Qi and Yin Qi, he also sensed the presence of the Wind Qi. It brushed against his skin gently, carrying with it the whispers of distant lands and the secrets of nature. As it intertwined with his consciousness, Liang Yifei felt a newfound clarity of thought, as if the wind itself was guiding him towards enlightenment.

The earth Qi, with its grounded and nurturing essence, seeped into his being, connecting him to the strength and stability of the earth. It provided a solid foundation for his cultivation, grounding him amidst the ever-changing energies surrounding him.

These ethereal energies, among others, merged and mingled within Liang Yifei's consciousness, intertwining and harmonizing with one another. They flowed through his body, strengthening his divine sense and expanding his consciousness and deepening his connection to the dao.

With each breath, Liang absorbed the ethereal energies, allowing them to mold and shape his consciousness. He felt a profound sense of unity with the world around him, as if he was no longer separate from the energies that encompassed him.

As time progressed, the ethereal integration underwent significant refinement. Liang's consciousness expanded, allowing him to perceive the ethereal energies with enhanced clarity. The once-distinct boundaries between himself and the environment began to fade, as he merged seamlessly with the swirling energies of the cave.

One year had passed, and Liang's eyes slowly fluttered open, unveiling a newfound enlightenment that engulfed him. He could now sense the intricate interconnectedness of all things more clearly, understanding the delicate balance between Yin and Yang, the rhythmic ebb and flow of the elements, and the harmonious extent of the world surrounding him.

He couldn't help but release a gratified sigh, filled with a deep sense of satisfaction. "This stage was a vast improvement from the first one, and remarkably, it only took a year to attain."

His focus shifted towards mastering the third stage of the Void Form Refining Art, known as the "Void Sense Stage." This stage marked a significant milestone in his spiritual development, as it involved the transformation of his divine sense into the void sense.

Within the depths of the cave, Liang Yifei focused his attention inward. Delving into the depths of his being, he began to tap into the void, seeking to merge his consciousness with its vast expanse.

As his consciousness became more refined, his senses began to extend beyond the limitations of his physical body. The boundaries between his consciousness and the void began to fade, and a profound attunement to the subtle vibrations of the universe emerged.

As he surrendered himself to the process, a subtle resonance began to echo within his nascent divinity. The essence of his divine sense, once radiant and expansive, started to undergo a metamorphosis. It gradually shed its former nature, like a snake shedding its skin, and was replaced by an ethereal quality.

Liang's divine sense dissolved into the fabric of the void, becoming one with the energies that permeated space,It transformed into a more transcendent form, resembling ethereal tendrils that shimmered with a cosmic essence. These tendrils stretched out into the void, penetrating the veil of nothingness and drawing upon the primal energies that flowed through the vast expanse.

Time slowly passed, As he finally opened his eyes, they blazed with a profound light. Gradually, his gaze shifted towards a seemingly unremarkable corner of the cave. Suddenly, the very fabric of space around him began to warp and distort, as if responding to some unseen force. Time seemed to slow down as an ovoid hole materialized before him.

In a fluid motion, he reached into his space ring and retrieved a second dagger. He carefully placed a strand of his unique "void sense" onto the blade.

With a flick of his wrist, he hurled the dagger through the newly formed space rift. The moment it entered the rift, the void's energy bore down upon it with tremendous force, threatening to annihilate the entire artifact. However, the strand of void sense, like a protective barrier, swiftly enveloped the entire dagger, sheltering it from the malicious intentions of the void. The pressure dissipated, leaving behind only a sense of serene calmness.

Gradually, amidst the boundless expanse of nothingness, the dagger cleaved through the unseen currents of energy that pulsed within the void. It danced effortlessly, skillfully navigating through the invisible disturbances and obstructions that threatened to impede its progress, as if guided by an invisible hand.

And then, he felt it—a flicker of life, a distant echo of a living presence. With swift precision, the dagger cleaved through the void, like a needle through fabric, creating a slender aperture. Without hesitation, the blade vanished into the newly formed rift, disappearing into the mysterious depths beyond.