Dual Cultivation

After everyone had left the Assembly Hall beside Su Yang and Wang Shuren, they returned to the Burning Lotus Sect to prepare for the Alchemy Examination in two weeks.

"What kind of exam are you going to make them take? Will it be something like the Profound Blossom Sect's disciple assessment?" Wang Shuren asked him.

"Not really. While talent is an important factor in Alchemy, even more important is their dedication and ability to remember things. Without dedication, even if you have the world's finest talent, you won't be able to concoct pills properly. And there are thousands of pill recipes that exist in this world with the number of ingredients a hundred times more than recipes itself. Without a good memory, how will you memorize what ingredients are needed for the pills, much less how to concoct the pill? While some pills may require similar ingredients, the way to concoct each pill is unique and vastly different."

"Therefore, I am going to test their ability to memorize pill recipes and have them undergo a test of patience."

"Testing their patience…?" Wang Shuren raised her eyebrows. "While I can see how the first exam will go about, I cannot imagine how you plan on testing their patience."

"It's simple, really."

Su Yang suddenly entered the pill room and began concocting a pill.

A few minutes later, he returned to Wang Shuren's side and showed her a pebble-sized pill.

"What kind of pill is this?" she asked him with her eyes flickering with interest and excitement.

Su Yang merely smiled and said, "Take a seat and close your eyes. I'll let you experience it for yourself."

"..."

Wang Shuren narrowed her eyes at him with a suspicious gaze. She could feel an ominous feeling coming from the smile on Su Yang's face, but she was too curious about the pill to refuse.

A moment later, she sat on the floor in the lotus position and closed her eyes.

Seeing this, Su Yang crushed the purple pill between his fingers and scattered the powder on Wang Shuren's face.

"..."

"..."

"..."

After waiting for many minutes without anything happening, Wang Shuren spoke, "What is taking you so long, Su Yang?"

"..."

"..."

"..."

However, nobody responded to her.

"Su Yang?"

Wang Shuren slowly opened her eyes, and it was at that moment she realized why Su Yang did not respond to her.

"W-Where am I?"

Wang Shuren had opened her eyes to find out that she was no longer inside her house or the Burning Lotus Sect for that matter.

Instead, she had been transported onto a mountain cliff in the middle of nowhere with mountains that were taller than even the clouds in all directions.

How did she suddenly get transported to this place without realizing it? Where the hell is this location?

"Ah… this must be an illusion…"

Wang Shuren shook her head with a smile on her face. "You almost got me, Su Yang. Even though this is clearly an illusion caused by the pill, I must admit, it's unbelievably realistic. If I didn't know about the pill, I would've definitely been fooled by it."

Wang Shuren decided to sit around until the effect of the pill wears off or when Su Yang pulls her out of the illusion.

However, after waiting for many hours, she remained in the exact same place, surrounded by mountains and clouds. But despite this, Wang Shuren remained calm, as she was confident that she was inside an illusion.

Ten hours… twenty hours… three days… seven days…

An entire week had passed by in the blink of an eye, yet Wang Shuren did not wake up from the illusion.

"Haha… I see what you are trying to do, Su Yang…" A smile appeared on her face when she realized what was happening.

"You are trying to test my patience, huh? Very well. I shall wait until you are satisfied!"

Thus, Wang Shuren continued to sit on the mountain cliff, patiently waiting for the 'test' to be over.

One week… two weeks… three weeks…

Wang Shuren has sat in the same position for a month by now, but the effects of the pills still remain, as she could see the mountain range.

"I don't know how long have passed since I arrived here, but it should be weeks. How long are you going to keep me here, Su Yang?" Wang Shuren said out loud, and her voice echoed into the distance.

"..."

Hearing no response, Wang Shuren stood up for the first time and sighed, "Since it's like this, I might as well look around. Maybe I'll leave the illusion if I wander far enough."

With that in mind, Wang Shuren left the mountain cliff and began traveling around the mountain range.

The surroundings were extremely silent, almost like she was the only living being in this world. However, that was to be expected, as she was inside an illusion created by the purple pill.

"Even though I have already expressed my admiration, the pill's ability to create such a realistic illusion is too baffling, even becoming more and more realistic the longer I remain in this place."

Wang Shuren proceeded to traverse the mountain range, but after spending a few more days in the illusion, she realized that she had been walking in the same area no matter which direction she walked or how far she walked because, in the end, she would return to the same mountain cliff from the beginning.

"Is this really an illusion…?" Wang Shuren began to doubt herself after spending a few more weeks in the place.

"I should have realized this when I first arrived in this place, but I have overlooked it… Why is there spiritual energy in an illusion? Is it even possible to create real spiritual energy inside an illusion?"

Wang Shuren started to cultivate to test the spiritual energy, and as she'd expected, she was able to cultivate normally with the Profound Qi in this place despite being in an illusion, which is the beginning of her doubts for this place.

"Well… since I can cultivate the spiritual energy in this place, it'll make waiting much easier…"

Thus, Wang Shuren returned to the mountain cliff where the spiritual energy was the densest, and she began cultivating there.

One month… two months… three months… six months… one year…

In the blink of an eye, over an entire year had passed since Wang Shuren was transported to this mountain range, yet there was no sign of her returning to her room in the Burning Lotus Sect anytime soon.

Two years… three years… five years… ten years…

Wang Shuren has increased her cultivation base by two whole levels within these two years, but without being able to concoct any pills for so long, she was beginning to miss the smell of medicine and sweating until her robes were soaked from concocting pills.

"Su Yang! Are you done testing me?! I am tired of seeing this same scenery for so many years! Please! Just let me leave already!" Wang Shuren shouted at the top of her lungs towards the Heavens.

However, there was no response from Su Yang no matter how long she waited.

"I guess it's not easy trying to satisfy an Immortal who has lived for thousands of years…" she sighed afterward. If she thought about it, she was incredibly lucky to have an Immortal like Su Yang lecturing her.

"I may not be a real disciple in his eyes right now, but I will prove to him that I have the capabilities to become one!" Wang Shuren resolved herself to wait for as long as she could possibly endure.

Fifteen years… thirty years… fifty years… one hundred years…

After spending one hundred years in the same place, Wang Shuren was beginning to go crazy. When she first entered this place, she was only at Earth Spirit Realm. But after spending 100 years in cultivation, she has ascended to the peak of the Earth Spirit Realm, being only a step away from the Heavenly Spirit Realm.

"I can feel it… I should be entering the Heavenly Spirit Realm in a few days…"

A few days of preparation later, Wang Shuren began her ascension to the Heavenly Spirit Realm.

Many hours later, she could feel her Dantian expanding many folds, and her spiritual energy was growing denser and purer.

"I did it! I have finally reached the Heavenly Spirit Realm!"

Wang Shuren shouted in excitement as she opened her eyes.

However, it was at that moment she realized that she was no longer in the mountain range, and Su Yang's handsome face could be seen standing a few meters away from her.

"S-Su Yang…?" she mumbled in a dazed voice, seemingly in disbelief.

"Congratulations, you have managed to endure 100 years of solitude without your mind breaking." Su Yang said to her with a smile, and he continued, "Even though you have experienced 100 years with the pill's effect, in reality, only 10 hours have passed since you closed your eyes."

"Eh?" Wang Shuren stared at him with wide eyes, speechless from shock.