Mirror Dream Tree 43. Spiritual Way

rin’s soul returns to his body, and the tree wall disperses into natural energy without his will, maintaining it.

As it fades, a thoughtful glint flashes in his eyes—he has discovered a new way to cultivate: to create a permanent object transford from natural energy.

But he knows he can't attempt it now.

His understanding of natural energy is still shallow, and before anything else, he must break through to the Second Turn of the Great Samurai realm and then forge a path to the peak of the Dharma realm.

He doesn’t include the Ancestral realm in that path—he already knows it cannot be reached through cultivation.

Xialing once ntioned it, but at the ti, he didn’t believe her—her strength felt like that of a high-ranking samurai, so how could she know the highest realm of the world?

What he knew then was that Ancestors live for ten thousand years, a claim that surprised him, as the Dream Mirror described this world as a micro-world, with a natural lifespan of about five hundred years.

But today proved the Dream Mirror wrong, and that realisation relieves him—it isn’t an omnipotent supre artefact, and its information likely ca from the world it belonged to.

Not all worlds share the sa rules.

For instance, the natural energy here is mild, while in the main world, it’s more like radiation—sothing he understood when comparing the energies of both worlds.

Still, today, Xialing was proven right when, before his very eyes, a figure mastered the rule of blood and advanced to the Ancestral realm with the help of a crystal.

“Today is the mont I join the upper echelon of the world,” he thinks, “and learn more about its truths.”

But before leaving, he looks around—many lie dead from the blood mist, and so still live, though infected by the rule of blood.

rin waves his hand, and the natural energy around him transforms into countless green flas.

The flas fly into the bodies of those injured by the blood mist.

Now that his soul strength has recovered, he no longer needs to hide his power.

Few in this world can kill him, and most hold no enmity toward him.

Beast Ancestral Realm beings could still end his life, but among the enemies they track, his na would be near the bottom.

Even so, he knows he will be on their list—his aid was pivotal in killing the Blood Ancestor, and without him, that victory might never have co.

He walks toward the lake, noticing that the forest surrounding it has vanished.

The lake has widened, and its waters have turned the colour of blood.

A massive, headless serpent corpse floats in the centre, and its eight severed heads lie scattered nearby.

Looking at it, he knows the lake’s na must change—its blood-colored water will never fade.

It has beco an ideal place for comprehending the rules of blood and water—rules now starting to rge.

The cause lies in the cocoon resting on the serpent’s corpse.

Inside it is the new Blood Ancestor of this world—an Ancestral Realm cultivator of the human race.

rin stands on the lake shore, silently watching as the figures who helped slay the Blood Ancestor begin to heal themselves.

So are missing hands, others legs, and a few are missing both, but he sees the limbs slowly regrowing.

It isn't the strength of their bodies at work, but their ntal energy.

First, they form substitutes for their missing parts using natural energy, and then, over ti, the energy cells transform into real ones.

This is the realm of practice he once ntioned he wanted to reach.

But one thing confuses him—humans, half-yao, yao, dryads, and even sea people are all following the ntal path, though with slight variations.

What surprises him most is that humans can cultivate up to the peak of the Dharma Realm.

Among the three humans present, two are pure humans—he can perceive the difference in life fluctuation between humans with ancestral blood and those without.

He glances at the sky and sees that the fighting above continues.

So, he closes his eyes and resus comprehending the rule of wood.

But he soon has to stop—the rule of wood once again retreats into hiding.

He opens his eyes and sees the sky return to normal, snowy clouds settling in, and by dawn, snow begins to fall again.

The fighting ends, and everyone around the lake rises to their feet, gazing at the sky.

And at that mont, he hears a voice shout, “Father.”

He recognises the voice and sees a girl running toward the two dryads.

He’s surprised—the girl slightly resembles Xialing, but her face carries the delicate beauty filter of his past life, with pointed ears, green hair, and eyes.

And yet, she *is* Xialing.

Her life fluctuation has changed, but it's still undeniably hers.

Two lives can't share such similar life fluctuations.

Her voice is identical to Xialing’s, and her face, too, holds the sa familiarity.

The person who had asked for his help now walks toward him and says, “Thank you for your help, fellow. I am Hayashi Haruto.”

rin senses hybrid rules from Haruto and nods.

“I am Matsuda Kanoru. It is my duty as a human.”

rin then looks at the cocoon and asks, “Do you know what is happening to him?”

Haruto glances at the cocoon and frowns.

“This is the first ti an Ancestor has been born from a human. We can't tell exactly what's happening.”

The other two, the man without ancestral blood and the one with, approach as well.

They introduce themselves as Kimura Aoi and Inari Kiyoshi.

From Aoi, he senses the rule of wood; from Kiyoshi, nothing—he’s an ordinary person.

Aoi then asks, “Kanoru, can I ask you a question?”

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rin feels he already knows what the question will be.

He doesn’t intend to hide anything, but he won’t claim sothing that isn’t true.

“Yes, you can ask,” he replies.

Aoi asks, “Did you create a new cultivation path?”

rin thinks about it. He *wants* to—but he hasn’t.

“No,” he says calmly.

Aoi stares into his eyes and says, “I feel you didn’t cultivate the spiritual way, but as a human without ancestral blood.”

rin senses every gaze turn toward him.

Though Aoi’s voice is soft, it reaches every ear around the lake—none here are ordinary.

These are the strongest beings in the world, second only to the Ancestors, and none of them are trying to hide their attention.

Aoi continues, “How did you cultivate your ntal energy to the Dharma Realm?”

rin already has his answer ready.

“I don’t know,” he says. “After I opened the Awakening Acupoint”—he taps the centre of his forehead—“my ntal energy, already awakened, began to grow stronger. And after I advanced to the Great Samurai Realm, it grew even more.”

Silence falls around the lake.

Then Haruto, eyes lit with excitent, says, “Truly?”

rin frowns, puzzled by Haruto’s expression—he’s being looked at like a priceless relic unearthed from the depths.

rin nods slowly and asks, “Is sothing wrong?”

Haruto shakes his head. “Nothing’s wrong. If you continue along this path, you’ll reach the peak of the Spiritual Master Realm in no ti.”

rin’s curiosity sparks. “Spiritual Master?”

Aoi responds, “You really don’t know anything about the spiritual way?”

rin shakes his head.

Aoi explains, “The spiritual way is the cultivation of ntal energy. The realms are: Spiritual Realm, then Spiritual Core Realm, followed by True Core Realm, and finally, the Spiritual Master Realm.”

rin asks, “How do you cultivate the spiritual way?”

Aoi explains how one must visualise their own body, feel the spirituality within the flesh, and slowly absorb that spirituality to nourish the ntal energy and eventually form a core.

Following her instructions, rin, whose soul power enters the Spiritual Master Realm within minutes, senses the spirituality within his own flesh.

As a Great Samurai, his body holds greater spirituality, and he begins absorbing it.

Once the spirituality of his body is consud, he draws in natural energy to replenish it.

He completes one more cycle before stopping, as people from outside begin gathering around the lake.

The strongest cultivators who helped slay the Blood Ancestor remain unable to leave, bound by the presence of the new Blood Ancestor still sealed inside the cocoon.

Uncertain why the cocoon hasn't broken, none dare leave.

Gradually, tents rise around the lake.

rin, recognised for his strength, is given a large tent.

He enters it to cultivate while waiting for the new Blood Ancestor to erge.

anwhile, in the Owani Kingdom’s camp, Jinhai gathers with the surviving generals.

Each face is frozen, tense.

A man enters.

One general turns to him and asks, “Is he the sa man the First Prince wants dead?”

The man replies, “According to my investigation—yes. His na is Matsuda Kanoru.”

Another general asks, “What do we do now?”

A third general answers grimly, “What else? Take down the wanted order and grovel at his feet, hoping he’ll forgive us.”

Another general angrily slams the table in front of him and curses. “How did a man go from a middle-ranking samurai to Dharma Realm strength in just a few days?”

The new man replies, “According to the theories spreading outside, Kanoru was born with the ntal strength of the Dharma Realm. It remained sealed until he opened his ntal acupoint. After he advanced to the Great Samurai Realm, the seal broke completely.”

The generals whisper among themselves until Jinhai speaks, “Do not worry. I will speak with him personally and ask for his forgiveness. Send a letter to the king explaining the situation. If he refuses to forgive us, then the court can decide whether to oppose him or sacrifice the First Prince.”

The other generals nod.

Jinhai continues, “But we shouldn't be sorrowful today. This is a day of celebration for us and the entire human race. Our plan succeeded. The forr Blood Ancestor is dead, and a new one will be born from our own kind.”

lancholy smiles spread across the generals’ faces.

Their plan had succeeded, but the price was nearly unbearable.

Entire armies had been destroyed or sacrificed. Many generals who joined late and leapt into the lake at the last mont perished.

Even those who escaped died later due to the lingering blood mist.

And many of the survivors around the lake would’ve died too, if Kanoru hadn’t healed them.

They begin discussing rewards for the fallen soldiers and the deceased generals.

In another tent, the mood is equally serious, but for a different reason.

Three people sit in silence until the woman among them, Tan Yuan, glances at Zeng Qi with a smirk.

The third person, Song Ji, speaks. “Zeng Qi, is he the sa man the First Prince wants dead… because of you?”

Tan Yuan says, “Ji, he’s the sa man. I watched him—he’s the one the First Prince wants to kill because of Zeng Qi.”

Song Ji’s expression hardens, his face sinking. “Zeng Qi, do sothing.”

Zeng Qi replies with frustration in his voice, “What can I do?”

How could he have known that a Swan Dance Incense and an anonymous ssage to the First Prince—informing him that his future bride was no longer pure—would lead to this?

Song Ji says, “I don’t care what you do, but the bla can’t fall on the Second Prince.”

Zeng Qi snaps back, “It *is* because of . Why would they bla the Second Prince?”

He stares at Song Ji, rembering how he praised him for ruining the First Prince’s chance to break through to the Great Samurai Realm when the plan was first carried out.

But now that the consequences have surfaced, they want to shift the entire bla onto him.

With the spiritual way now beginning to spread through the Seven Kingdoms, Zeng Qi realises that nobles and royals will no longer be able to control people like Kanoru.

If he survives this, he intends to part ways with the Second Prince.

He says, “If that man finds us, I’ll take responsibility.”

Song Ji stares at him and says, “Good,” before leaving the tent.

Tan Yuan then speaks, “Qi, don’t worry. We left no clues that can trace the matter back to us.”

Zeng Qi says, “I know—but that won’t stop them from sacrificing for their benefit.”

Tan Yuan asks, “What will you do?”

Zeng Qi answers, “Before they can inform that man about , I’ll ask him for forgiveness myself.”

Tan Yuan says, “What if he doesn’t forgive you?”

Zeng Qi replies, “What can I do other than accept my fate?”

Tan Yuan’s face sinks.

She wants to help Zeng Qi, whom she sees as her future life partner, but she can’t involve herself in this matter.

She’s heard that the man’s ntal strength, even without formal cultivation, has already reached the early Spiritual Master realm, and according to the Illusion Master, it will reach its peak soon.

Even with her family’s power, she can’t protect Zeng Qi from soone at the peak of the Spiritual Master realm.

Her Tan family, based on the western continent, is a major power with an ancestor in the early Spiritual Master realm.

But for Zeng Qi, who’s only in the early Spiritual Core realm, they won’t risk making an enemy of a rising Spiritual Master.

They wouldn’t hesitate to sacrifice Zeng Qi to build ties with soone destined to beco one of the world’s strongest.

And if she could abandon her emotions, it would be wiser to sacrifice Zeng Qi for the chance to grow close to this erging force.

But she can’t.

She glances at Zeng Qi, sighs softly, and steps out of the tent.

Under the night sky, she makes her way toward the lake, deciding to check on the new Blood Ancestor.

She’s curious about what changes will co to the Holy Blood Master once he erges from the cocoon.

She admonishes herself, shakes her head, and reminds herself it is no longer the Holy Blood Master—it is now the Holy Blood Ancestor.

As she walks through the passages between tents, she suddenly stops at the sound of Song Ji’s voice.

She hears him handing a letter to soone and telling the man to sohow get it into that man's hands.

Peeking around the canvas, she sees the letter is given to one of their group’s errand boys.

When the errand boy leaves, she follows him quietly.

In an isolated passage, she sends a ntal blast into the boy’s mind, knocking him unconscious.

She steps forward, takes the letter from his hand, and stares at it, falling into a dilemma.

After a long breath, she sighs.

A purple fla conjures in her palm, burning the letter into ashes.

Zhen Qi, monts after Tan Yuan leaves the tent, also steps outside.

He watches her figure head toward the lake, then takes another route between the tents.

He erges into a clearing filled with people.

A bonfire burns at the centre, and cultivators gather around it, setting up stalls.

He mutters to himself, “They’ve set up a market.”

Then he realises it’s understandable.

This is one of those rare monts when an enormous number of cultivators, both lowest and highest, gather in the sa place.

He walks through the market, eyes scanning the goods.

Many resources catch his interest, things he wishes he could possess.

He believes researching these resources and uncovering their truths might help him build the understanding he needs to transform his Spiritual Core into a True Core.

But he doesn’t know what his fate will be.

Will he still be alive by dawn?

He exhales softly, steps past the last stall, and walks toward whatever destiny awaits.

Inside his tent, rin opens his eyes and quietly observes the changes within him after forming his spiritual core monts ago.

With his powerful ntal strength, sensing the spirituality in his flesh and absorbing it had co easily.

Once the spirituality within his body was consud, he could swiftly replenish it by nourishing his body with true energy or natural energy.

After only a few hours, he ford a spiritual core and stepped into the Spiritual Core Realm.

This realm holds strength equivalent to that of a Great Samurai.

He senses a field forming around him, similar to the soul field of his true body or the artistic conception field.

Within a few ters around him, this field constantly remains open.

His mind receives information from the air, dust, and anything else within that radius.

Though this constant flow of data could overwhelm his consciousness, the spiritual core stores it all, letting him access what he needs at any mont.

Testing it further, he extends his spiritual field and finds it reaches halfway across the lake.

But then, he senses a warning and killing intent directed at him.

Understanding the cause, he sends a ntal ssage to the others, explaining that he recently advanced to the Spiritual Core Realm and was rely testing his field.

He doesn’t wait for their response and withdraws his spiritual energy.

Then, turning to the tent’s flap, he calmly says, “Co in.”