"Jiang Ming, where have you been?" After arriving at the courtyard, I immediately met with Hong Lin.

"Just walking around the sect," I avoided mentioning the forest, especially after telling him not to go in the first place. I entered the main room and took a seat. "Do you know there's a tower that helps in body refinement?"

"What tower?"

I explained to him about the gravity tower. As for the pain involved, I didn't mention it. If I tell him, he might decide against going.

"Then you've already started climbing?" I nodded to his question. "Up to what floor?"

"The first floor," initially, I wanted to warn him against rushing, but the look on his face made me shut my mouth. Let's see how well you'll manage.

Hong Lin then rushed out, saying he was going to the tower. If I didn't know better, I would have thought he was competing with me. I left the main room and went to my room to cultivate. I placed all the stones in my possession for the stele to absorb; I see no loss since it will eventually channel back to me.

I then appeared in the small world. I could immediately spot the changes, although the change isn't exaggerated. The small virility-enhancing herb I planted has multiplied to the degree that it would have taken more than six months if it was outside. I plucked one and inspected it; apart from the abnormal growth, there's no other change I spotted; my plans for transferring all the plants to the small world can finally begin.

I got out of the small world, and the scenery changed back to my room. Just as I was about to head to the backyard, I felt something vibrate. I immediately investigated the foreign feeling. What's this? The culprit is the identification talisman; I directly grabbed the glowing talisman and checked it out. Instinctively, I poured my true qi into it, and as if on cue, I heard a message in my mind.

"A tournament?"

Yes, the message that sounded in my mind is about a joint sect tournament; the purpose is to determine those qualified to enter a secret realm discovered by the elders. The message brought me some slight excitement as finally, I won't be a mere spectator but a participant; I have watched tournaments before but never as a participant. The tournament is exciting, but even more is the secret realm. From the notes of powerful Taoists, secret realms can be said to be inheritance grounds. They are usually left by dying experts to pass on their legacy. Apart from the inheritance, the place is usually filled with opportunities and treasures. It is said that one can obtain a treasure capable of changing their destiny.

"I have to get strong fast," the given preparation period is exactly two months. Right now, I'm only at the second layer. This should be among the weakest; if I relax, then I won't get the chance as only the top a hundred will be selected. I don't know how much I can advance in two months, but I will do my best. Now that I think about it, that technique should help. Theoretically, the Yin and Yang joyous unification art should boost my cultivation speed, but that is only if I dual cultivate with many women. The only question is, which girls are willing to throw themselves at me? Forget it. I'll try it later. I don't believe I can fail to pick up women.

I went to my small farm and prepared to transfer the plants to the small world. It was then that I noticed a particular multi-colored plant. The plant is a type of poison that should kill a mortal in less than five minutes. Why I was allowed to plant such a toxic plant isn't important. The important thing is that the moment I saw it, an idea crossed my mind. Should I ingest it…

I can feel my body needs a little push, and I'll be able to advance to the second layer of body refinement. The silver-bellied poison was good, but it could not give me the last push. I plucked a leaf of the seven-colored poison. Touching it isn't harmful ingesting it, on the other hand…

I examined it for a second. I was still hesitant to try it. After all, I'm not that different from a mortal, right? Ingesting might prove to be my downfall. Hmph! The silver-bellied poison should be more dangerous than this. Saying that I used my qi to grind the leaf into a green paste. No risk, no rewards, it's not that I have a strange hobby of torturing myself, but I believe it's better to suffer now in a controlled environment than to suffer under someone else.

With that said, I swallowed the entire paste. I had hardened my muscles in preparation for a sudden pain, but strangely I felt nothing. Just as I relaxed myself, I felt it. My stomach burned as if I had swallowed the sun. I felt as if someone swung a blade inside my stomach. The pain was unbearable, I wanted to cry, but I couldn't. I wanted to blame someone, but there was no one to blame. In the end, I gritted my teeth to suppress a scream, but even then, I still vomited dark red blood. Surprisingly, the more I endured, the greater the pain.

Suddenly, the pain stopped affecting only my stomach. Like how metal conducts heat, the poison spreads only that the metal is my body and the heat poison. Under the pain, I was unable to stand. I supported myself on the wall and suppressed another cough. Coughing means losing blood, and I can't allow my precious blood to be lost so casually. I felt my consciousness fading, but I refused and resisted. I refused to lose consciousness like a weakling. I refused, but the pain really was unbearable. My body was no longer in my control, but just as I was about to lose consciousness, my supernatural healing kicked in.

The feeling is like having a burnt finger dipped in cold water; instant relief. My mangled organs were quickly repaired; tough and sturdy ones immediately replaced the soft and weak parts.

*Boom*

In an instant, my whole body was healed, which is weird since even with my supernatural healing, it usually takes more than a day, but that isn't important now. Mortal weapons shouldn't be able to hurt me. I had an inexplicable feeling that nothing would happen to me if I stood and let a mortal hack me with a mortal sword. Of course, this is just a feeling; I can't dare to try it.

I then glanced at the remaining seven-colored poison and gulped. If a leaf helped me advance to the second layer of body refinement, what can a whole bunch do? I didn't need to imagine. I plucked the whole plant and turned it into a paste using my qi. I then immediately swallowed it and clenched my muscles. I waited, but nothing happened. At first, I thought it was just like the first time, waiting for me to relax before attacking, but no matter how long I waited, nothing happened.

"Could it be that I have started to develop an immunity?" The only logical reason could be that, but that is ridiculous. Developing an immunity shouldn't be this fast, right? On the other hand, this can be regarded as an opportunity. If I can gather as many poisons as possible and use them on me, doesn't that mean I will be immune to most poisons? I chuckled at my joke and started to relocate the plants.

***

After a while, I managed to relocate all my plants to the small world, making the place thrive with color that is pleasant to the eye.

"What floor did you manage to reach?" While walking back to the house, I met with an embarrassed Hong Lin. If I didn't know where he had been, I'd assume he's just from wrestling a tiger.

"Third," the first thing he said almost made me stumble. Does he mean third floor or third staircase? I looked at him expectantly, hoping he'd explain further. "Third stair." Saying that he rushed to the house, not giving me a chance to ask any questions. Hehe, you thought it would be a breeze? Although his result pales compared to mine, it is still commendable for him to reach the third stair. After all, the gravity tower is no joke.

****

"The stele should've absorbed all stones by now," I sat on a meditation mat back in my room. Since there are only two months until the tournament, I intend to use all that time to cultivate and practice the martial techniques.

With a thought, pure spiritual energy poured from the locket to my meridians and finally to my dantian; I discovered that I could somehow do this long ago. Slowly, the spiritual qi dripped into my dantian in droplets filling it.

"Why am I not breaking through?" After a while, my dantain eventually filled to the brim. The only problem was that I couldn't break through no matter how hard I tried. I then remembered elder Da Wei's words; don't use self-seclusion to absorb energy. After determining the problem, I no longer tried; the only thing I can now do is to force a breakthrough either by fighting or going back to the gravity tower. Fighting would have been a good idea, but the only people I can practice with are Hong Lin and Feng Lin, but both of them are unavailable, so my only option was the gravity tower. I was about to head out when suddenly…

"Who!" I felt movement prompting me to look around vigilantly. It must be known; the only way someone can enter my room is through the door, but I didn't notice anyone despite directly facing the door. I looked around, but I didn't spot anyone or anything. Did I feel wrong? Just as I thought that I felt the movement once more. This time, I clearly felt where it originated from.

"Could it be someone sneaked inside here?" I grabbed the locket and thought. I felt the disturbance originate from the locket. With a thought, I disappeared to the small world and what I saw confused me to no end.

Standing before the Yin and Yang stele is Zhu Ling. Although she has her back turned on me, how could I fail to recognize her? Her purple dress is also a giveaway.

"Zhu Ling?" I called out to her hesitantly.

"Ming?" She turned, and her furrowed brows immediately beamed with joy as she rushed towards me. "You were also brought here?" She asked

"What do you mean brought here?"

"Well, I was studying some recipes when I suddenly appeared in this strange place," I still failed to understand how she appeared in the small world. Can anyone just enter as they wish?

"Tell me everything you were doing before," maybe I could find a clue in her words. Zhu Ling wasted no time explaining everything to me. One thing caught my attention. "So you were thinking about me and suddenly appeared here?" To be honest, I was delighted to know I was in her thoughts even when she was studying alchemy.

"Y-Yes, I was thinking about you then suddenly, I felt a slight burning on my back and appeared here. Was it the same for you?"

"Wait, what burning? Can you show me?"

The burning she's talking about should be a clue to how she managed to appear in the small world without my authorization.

"R-Right now?" Zhu Ling asked with a blushing face. "What if people see me?" I then realized we were in an open area. To show me her back, she'd have to strip completely.

"You don't have to worry. No one can see you in this place," I'm sure there shouldn't be anyone else that can freely enter the small world. Even the all-powerful Jiang Yan had to ask me for permission. The case with Zhu Ling ought to be an anomaly.

"Ok then," Zhu Ling got rid of her embarrassment and started to strip. Is it strange that she trusts my word this much?