"He's training at Dragon's Peak?"
Both Gao Dongya and Xue Jiye were surprised by this since even Core Disciples such as them would need to go through a lot of trouble before they're allowed to cultivate there.
"Anyways, let's continue." Long Yijun said, and he proceeded to speak more about the Mystic Realm to the two disciples.
Meanwhile, at Dragon's Peak, Yuan suddenly stopped cultivating and stood up before shouting, "Oh no! I totally forgot about the lecture for the Inner Court disciple!"
"Eh? Lecture?" Fang Yuxiang asked him.
"It was supposed to happen after the Inner Court Disciple Examination, but I'd forgotten about it because of the Dragon Essence! What a blunder… I hope my absence didn't cause any inconvenience…" he sighed.
"It's just a lecture, Young Master. You should be more worried about the Mystic Realm than some introduction class." Feng Yuxiang said.
"Oh, right. Speaking of the Mystic Realm, do you know anything about this place, Xiao Hua, Feng Feng?" Yuan asked after sitting down again.
"No, Xiao Hua doesn't know anything about the Mystic Realm." Xiao Hua said, surprising Yuan since she's usually the most knowledgeable.
"I know about it." Feng Yuxiang's voice quickly resounded, and she continued, "It's a very large event in the Lower Heavens that only occurs once every 10 years."
"It's an event where only the most powerful sects in the Lower Heavens can participate, and the results will determine the sects' rank for the next decade, so it's very important to these elite sects that care so much about their position."
"As for the participants in question, if you perform well and catch the attention of the judges, there's a very small chance that you'll be given the chance to become a disciple at one of the sects that exist in the upper heaven— Spirit Heaven."
"Wait a second… Does this mean the judges for this Mystic Realm are people from the upper heavens?" Yuan asked.
"That's right. The Mystic Realm is organized by 7 different sects from the upper heavens. It's a tradition that has existed since ancient times." Feng Yuxiang said.
"I see… Anything else?"
"Let's talk about the Mystic Realm itself. From what I heard, the Mystic Realm is actually a world of its own, meaning it doesn't belong to any of the heavens," said Feng Yuxiang.
"Anyways, while I haven't been to the Mystic Realm myself, I have heard plenty of stories about it. Inside the Mystic Realm, your cultivation base is wiped, so it's almost like you're starting from scratch in a sense."
"Inside the Mystic Realm, you can earn points by increasing your cultivation level or defeating magical beasts, and you can even earn points by helping people. Almost everything you do is judged."
"I see…" Yuan mumbled.
"Therefore, even if the Young Master reaches Spirit Master, it won't matter once you're inside the Mystic Realm."
"I know, but I still want to reach Spirit Master since I am so close to it. Once I reach Spirit Master, I'll probably take a break from cultivating like this since I don't like spending most of my time sitting still like this." Yuan sighed.
"Young Master, how close are you to your breakthrough?" Feng Yuxiang suddenly asked him, and she continued, "I have a monster core at the 6th level Spirit Warrior with me if you want to consume it…"
"Eh? Really? But I don't want to accept something so precious from you without giving you anything in return— even if you're my servant." Yuan said to her.
"How about the Young Master donates more blood to me in return for the monster core?" Feng Yuxiang said.
"Are you sure? I'll be giving you my blood regardless if you give me the monster core or not."
"I'm sure, Young Master. In fact, my body is craving for your blood even as we speak, and I am trying my best to hold it in. If giving you this monster core will allow me to drink your blood even a day sooner, I would not hesitate!"
After thinking about it for a moment, Yuan nodded his head and said, "Okay. I'll exchange my blood for your monster core."
After all, he was already getting tired of sitting still after just a few days of cultivation, and he hated remaining in one spot for long periods of time since it reminded him of the real world.
"Great!"
Feng Yuxiang appeared from his body after Yuan agreed to accept the monster core, and she retrieved a monster core from her spatial ring.
"This is a monster core?" Yuan raised his eyebrows at the glowing monster core that looked somewhat different from the monster cores he had eaten, as it had this fiery appearance.
"Did you forget who I was before I became your servant already, Young Master? I am the owner of one of the most prestigious shops in the Golden Phoenix Bazaar. I have no need for 'normal' treasures, and monster cores are no different." Feng Yuxiang said.
And she continued, "This monster core belongs to a Rainbow Koi, an incredibly rare magical beast that can only be found in one place within the Lower Heavens— the Frozen Cave, one of the very few danger zones in this world."
"Rainbow Kois are Spirit Warriors at birth, and they grow incredibly fast. However, they don't really have much combat prowess, if any at all, and they die naturally once they reach Spirit Master, so they have a short lifespan, and if they die naturally, it won't drop its monster core."
"This is why Rainbow Koi monster cores are considered a priceless treasure and are sought after by many. Furthermore, people who absorb them have a very small chance to obtain a special power that allows them to control fire, and it gives more spiritual energy than normal monster cores at its level."
Feng Yuxiang explained to him.
"Controlling fire? From a fish? How does that work?" Yuan raised his eyebrows.
"Well, one can control fire using their spiritual energy, but those with this power can control fire without needing spiritual energy, saving them a lot of energy. Furthermore, the monster core enhances one's ability towards fire techniques, so most people looking for them are all practitioners who use techniques related to fire, such as alchemy masters."
"I see… What a unique monster core. It's definitely different from what I've consumed in the past." Yuan mumbled as he accepted the monster core from Feng Yuxiang.