Zhao Xing hadn't even reacted before he unknowingly entered the Illusion Realm.
"Master..."
The beauty in the bathtub leaned over to him, making him forget everything. His eyes saw only this delicate and alluring beauty, a peerless belle who seemed to be under his control, dominated by nothing but a wild, primal desire.
Only when his strength was fully drained did he, assisted by the beauty, lie down on the bed and fall into a deep sleep.
.......
When Zhao Xing awoke again, the yellow paper on his forehead had dried and drifted to the side.
The Guiding Talisman on his abdomen was soaked with sweat.
"Hmm, what a comfortable dream..."
Zhao Xing held his head as he sat upright, remaining still for a good while before he realized what had happened.
"What? Failed?"
"!!"
However, the afterglow of the dream still lingered, and several records on the panel reminded:
[You entered the secret realm 'Dream Palace']
[You entered the 'Heart Inquiry Platform' trial.]
[Heart Inquiry failed, gaining nothing from this challenge.]
Zhao Xing turned off the panel and muttered:
"It must be because this body is too young, at a time of robust energy, or perhaps it's the old version of the Heart Inquiry Platform, too powerful... that led to me return empty-handed from a treasure trove."
"No matter, next time I will conquer it in one go!"
Comforting himself, Zhao Xing saw that dawn was approaching, so he immediately got dressed and went out to start his day's work and cultivation.
.......
The second night.
Dream Palace.
"Hmm, such a comfortable dream... Huh? Failed again?"
....
The third night.
Dream Palace.
"Such intense power, it involuntarily makes one indulge, but next time I will surely pass!"
....
This cycle repeated for half a month, and Zhao Xing remained stuck at the Heart Inquiry stage.
Even Chen Ziyu and Qian Dong found it strange:
"Brother has been looking listless lately, why is that?"
"Could it be that he's been sneaking out behind our backs?"
"Ziyu, how could you think of brother like that? He must be practicing day and night, which is why he seems so exhausted."
"...Please stop talking now."
Zhao Xing felt melancholic. The old version of the 'Heart Inquiry Platform' was too powerful, and combined with a young body full of strong desires, it was hard for him to pass for the time being.
Determined after reflection, Zhao Xing reevaluated his inner self.
Dream Palace was a treasure of the Da Li Dynasty for testing the elite; without careful thought, it was indeed difficult to pass the old version of Heart Inquiry Platform.
He began to dedicate himself entirely to cultivation, eliminating all idle thoughts each day except for eating and sleeping, focusing solely on practicing spells and Gathering Essence.
He fortified his beliefs with a furious self-discipline, at times even disciplining himself when eating.
Intentionally facing a bowl of delicious food when he was very hungry, he would staunchly resist eating it until he endured for the set amount of time before starting to eat.
His goal was not to eliminate desires but to train his body to delay gratification.
.....
Finally, on one evening.
Dream Palace, Heart Inquiry Platform.
"Master..."
The woman by the bathtub turned around,
her demeanor incredibly alluring as she nestled into Zhao Xing's embrace.
But Zhao Xing made no move.
"Master~ Is the floral medicine bath I prepared comfortable?" the beauty whispered in his ear, her voice like a murmur.
This time, Zhao Xing remained alert and recalled his previous failures, sincerely admiring her: "Indeed, it's comfortable."
"Why does the master remain indifferent? Where have I not done enough?" The beauty lifted her head, eyes brimming with tears, looking pitifully delicate.
"I still have desires," Zhao Xing shrugged, then pushed the woman away, "but I aspire for greater heights."
"If I am to indulge, I only settle for the best, and this realm of desires is far from the best."
The illusion shattered amidst the woman's bewildered expression.
........
Following that, Zhao Xing climbed ten steps in one breath.
All manner of beauties appeared before him, tempting him with all their might.
Yet, Zhao Xing quickly disentangled himself, and after enduring self-discipline, he finally reconnected with the sensation of being a 'top player' in his past life when he faced the Heart Inquiry Platform, no longer influenced by his current life's body.
A false illusion, might be tasty for a try, but how could one truly be addicted?
"Student Zhao Xing, you have successfully passed the test of desire at the Heart Inquiry Platform."
"At the initial stage of Gathering Essence Realm, passing the first level of Heart Inquiry with unwavering Dao heart, you are rewarded with a 'Tao Embryo Pill'."
A voice rang beside his ear, and Zhao Xing saw an ancient box floating in the mist.
"Tao Embryo Pill? To reward such a treasure just for the first level?"
Zhao Xing's composed expression shattered immediately upon hearing the reward.
This caused him not to attempt the eleventh step but to willingly wake up.
........
Suddenly sitting up, Zhao Xing immediately looked down.
He saw he was holding the ancient box in his left hand, exactly like in the dream.
"Tao Embryo Pill, this is one of the top refining elixirs available before the revival version! Second to none!" Zhao Xing was ecstatic.
This was something he had never consumed in his past life. Too expensive to produce himself, and he couldn't afford to buy from others, either—way too expensive!
By the time he could afford and manage to get it, he no longer needed it.
"Is this real?"
Zhao Xing was still somewhat in disbelief, thinking he might still be dreaming, so he hastily rubbed his eyes until he confirmed it by checking the panel records.
[You have entered the Dream Palace secret realm]
[You have entered the 'Heart Inquiry Platform' trial.]
[Heart Inquiry successful, reward received: 'Tao Embryo Pill'.]
[Tao Embryo Pill: A cherished treasure of the Da Li Royal Family, capable of fundamentally transforming and reinventing one's Dao foundation.]
"Heart Inquiry Platform rewards such an extravagant treasure?"
Quickly, Zhao Xing guessed a reason, "Is it because my realm is too low, yet I managed to pass ten stages of Heart Inquiry, so the level of reward was drastically increased?"
The assessment of Dream Palace was not entirely fixed but determined based on an individual's performance.
Zhao Xing was able to pass ten stages of Heart Inquiry at the Gathering Essence Realm (Li Dynasty cultivation system), which was very rare, irrespective of the time spent; even if someone at the second rank of Gathering Essence spent 100 years, it still would be impressive, thus the high reward from Heart Inquiry Platform.
"I'll consume it!"
Zhao Xing couldn't wait to open the box and swallowed the pale red elixir inside.
An extremely fierce heat instantly surged through his body, causing Zhao Xing to shiver uncontrollably.
But the next second, the sensation vanished abruptly.
As quick as it arrived, it was gone.
The magic of the 'Tao Embryo Pill' lay in this, other than an initial discomfort, it didn't cause any discomfort to the consumer, nor did it directly elevate the realm, but subtly and gradually altered the foundation.
Still, the change Tao Embryo Pill brought to Zhao Xing was substantial!
It was evident from the panel.
[Name: Zhao Xing]
[Realm: Unclassed]
[Luck: Tier Two]
[Spell: Basic Cultivation (Max Level)]
[Robust Growth: Early Stage (201/9999)]
[Cloud Maneuver: Early Stage (352/9999)]
[Gathering Essence: Second Rank (142/1000)]
[Rebirth and fundamental transformation of Dao foundation: Special State (in progress), this state cannot be perceived by those below the first rank.]
"An additional special state, truly worthy of being the strongest refining treasure."
"Gathering Essence moved from the first rank at 71 points to the second rank at 142 points, literally doubling. There's no helping it, even a slight display of its initial effect is enough for a significant improvement at this stage, and thankfully, this kind of upgrade isn't too conspicuous at the lower stages."
"Wait, how did my luck level also change to Tier Two? I've never heard that consuming Tao Embryo Pill could also increase the level of luck."