Venerable Seventh Cultivator of True Virtue carried Song Shuhang along and arrived at the sixteenth underground floor of the immortal cave. In there was a completely white room, very spacious and devoid of objects.

The sixteenth floor of the immortal cave was the place with the highest concentration of mysterious energy and matter.

Venerable Seventh Cultivator of True Virtue asked, "Little friend Shuhang, you're currently unable to use true qi, right? In that case, we'll practice without using it. Which type of environment do you prefer for battle? A forest? An ancient city? A plain? The sea?"

I can choose the environment I prefer? Song Shuhang pondered for a moment and replied, "In that case, I'll choose the ancient city."

"Good, the ancient city it is!" Venerable Seventh Cultivator of True Virtue opened his arms and operated the spiritual energy inside his body.

In the next moment, the white room started to change.

The surrounding space started to expand without limits.

A nearly ten meters tall wall suddenly rose from the ground. Afterward, archer towers, clock towers, houses, castles, the inner city, and all kinds of ancient buildings rose from the ground.

In the blink of an eye, the room on the sixteenth underground floor had turned into a fortified ancient city.

Song Shuhang blurted out, "An illusory reality?"

Only the illusory reality of a Venerable could create such a scene out of nowhere.

The illusory reality was a special skill that Seventh Stage Venerables possessed. With this skill, they could create an illusory space within the real world. The things inside the illusory space weren't any different than real things. Even the injuries received there would stay behind after leaving the illusory reality, just like when Song Shuhang entered Venerable White's desert.

Venerable Seventh Cultivator of True Virtue faintly smiled and said, "It seems that little friend Shuhang has already experienced Fellow Daoist White's illusory reality... however, we are still in the real world at this time."

"If we are still in the real world... is it a 'real illusion' then?" Song Shuhang said in amazement.

The 'real illusion' was a skill that was the complete opposite of the 'illusory reality'.

Once it was activated, the real illusion could turn certain events that had happened in the real world into illusions.

Venerable White gained a superficial knowledge of this skill and had Song Shuhang experience it for a while... that was truly a tragic memory for our little friend.

That day, the goldfish-version Song Shuhang was gulped down at once by Doudou. He was shredded to pieces by sharp dog teeth and melted by the gastric acid in his stomach.

Just recalling this memory was enough to make Song Shuhang tremble all over.

"Little friend Shuhang knows about the 'real illusion' as well?" Venerable Seventh Cultivator of True Virtue looked at Song Shuhang with a curious expression on his face and explained, "However, the skill I used isn't the real illusion. That skill can only be mastered only after reaching the Eighth Stage Profound Sage Realm and showing one's divinity in front of the masses. I'm still one step short from that point.

The skill I used just now relied on the runes, barriers, and formations engraved in the immortal cave and materialized some of the objects present in my illusory reality in the real world through a special 'shape imitating' magical technique. In other words, it's an 'object imitating' technique. Everything you see here is made of pure energy. If you go ahead and touch it with your hands, you will immediately understand."

Song Shuhang curiously touched the city walls. Sure enough, he immediately felt as though he was touching pure energy. Although he could touch the walls, they felt different from real walls.

What a strange magical technique...

❄️❄️❄️

After the ancient city materialized out of nowhere...

Song Shuhang asked, "Senior Seventh Cultivator of True Virtue, how are we going to practice?"

He was a cultivator of the Second Stage that couldn't even use the true qi and mental energy in his body. If Venerable Seventh Cultivator of True Virtue wanted to practice together with him, he would have to restrain his strength until it was around the Second Stage.

Venerable Seventh Cultivator of True Virtue said, "Before starting the practice, I need to get an understanding of your battle prowess. Come, attack me with all your strength!"

It was truly the attitude of an expert.

After hearing these words, Song Shuhang didn't hesitate and immediately attacked Venerable Seventh Cultivator of True Virtue.

Now that he was unable to use his true qi and mental energy, he could only display the ❮Basic Buddhist Fist Technique❯ and the pure saber moves of the ❮Inverted Scale Saber Technique❯ without the addition of true qi, as well as the ❮Virtuous Man's Ten Thousand Mile Walk❯ footwork.

If we added the innate skill of the Mouth Aperture, he could reluctantly use the ❮Roaring Lion's Technique❯. However, that wouldn't have any effect on Venerable Seventh Cultivator of True Virtue.

Song Shuhang used the ❮Virtuous Man's Ten Thousand Mile Walk❯ footwork and quickly approached Venerable Seventh Cultivator of True Virtue. Afterward, he used the ❮Basic Buddhist Fist Technique❯ and attacked him from all kinds of tricky angles.

Venerable Seventh Cultivator of True Virtue didn't move and stood in his original place, trying to figure out how to counter Song Shuhang's incoming attacks. In the next moment, his hands danced in the air and gently blocked Song Shuhang's attacks. In all this, his feet didn't move in the least.

"Not bad, your fist technique has already reached the master level, and your movements were flexible and variable, not rigid at all. The combination of the footwork with the fist technique was also very precise," Venerable Seventh Cultivator of True Virtue said, quite satisfied.

Five breaths later, Song Shuhang had already finished displaying one round of the ❮Basic Buddhist Fist Technique❯.

Then, he stopped his attacks and said, "Senior, I have other techniques too, but I can't display them, since I can't use true qi at this time."

It was truly a regrettable matter. Just as Venerable Seventh Cultivator of True Virtue got the sudden idea to train together with him, Song Shuhang could only display the ❮Basic Buddhist Fist Technique❯ and nothing else. It was like gathering the dragon balls just to wish for a meal because one was hungry at the time...

Song Shuhang knew that he was lacking when it came to martial skills and magical techniques. But there was nothing he could do about it. After all, he had been cultivating for a very short amount of time.

Venerable Seventh Cultivator of True Virtue nodded. From the attacks just now, he had more or less determined the level of Song Shuhang's battle prowess.

In that case, it was time to advance to the second stage of the training.

❄️❄️❄️

Venerable Seventh Cultivator of True Virtue asked, "Little friend Shuhang, do you have any experience in fighting large monster beasts and cosmic demons hand-to-hand?"

"I once encountered a blood demon and a strange, colossal cuttlefish monster. However, I didn't fight them hand-to-hand," Song Shuhang replied.

"In that case, I'll specially give you an additional lesson on how to fight against large creatures. Moreover, you are a bit lacking when it comes to attacking methods. When you have the time, you should go in the group space of the Nine Provinces Number One Group and take a look at the small missions issued by other fellow daoists and obtain the related rewards like cultivation techniques and martial skills. You should complete the missions in your free time and learn several different types of attacking methods. It's never a bad thing to have many skills at one's disposal," Venerable Seventh Cultivator of True Virtue said.

"I was already planning to do so," Song Shuhang replied.

"Good, good... now then, let's change the training method! I'll prepare several suitable targets for you to practice your skills first!" After saying this much, Venerable Seventh Cultivator of True Virtue raised his hands once more and said, "Set the range of height from 5 to 10 meters, the strength to the Second Stage Realm, the available skills to the ❮Lightning Flash Fist❯, the quantity to 100, the fatal weaknesses to a random mark… done! Come forth, giant Seventh Cultivators of True Virtue!"

Just as his voice faded, a hundred colossal figures suddenly rose from the ground outside the ancient city.

The giants had the same face as Venerable Seventh Cultivator of True Virtue, and a body covered with muscles. Their height went from five to ten meters, and just like the ancient city, they were made of pure energy.

At this time, they were standing outside the city with similar poses to the Terminator when it first made its appearance.

Song Shuhang stared at the giants that had suddenly risen from the ground and asked, "Senior, you are not planning to make me fight those hundred giants, right?"

Even though the giants were also at the Second Stage Realm, their build was very large! Moreover, there were hundreds of them! How was he supposed to fight them? Song Shuhang felt that he would be beaten to death.

Venerable Seventh Cultivator of True Virtue faintly smiled and said, "Little friend Shuhang, you have to believe in yourself. According to my calculations, these are the most suitable practicing targets for you. I prepared them based on your fighting capacity. As long as you give it your all, you don't need to fear them."

"Senior, are you sure?"

"Yes, I'm sure of it. Anyway, little friend Shuhang, you have two choices now. First: hold on against the giant Seventh Cultivators of True Virtue for one hour, protecting the inner city. Second: completely kill the giant Seventh Cultivators of True Virtue.

If you succeed, I'll teach you a special type of 'secret sound transmission' skill. The type that can transmit the message to a whole group."

Song Shuhang was rather direct and asked, "What if I fail?"

"If you fail... well, I haven't decided what will happen if you fail. "Venerable Seventh Cultivator of True Virtue pondered for a while and said, "Even if you fail, it's not really a problem. After all, the main objective is to give you some training. Therefore, the ancient city will return to its original state if you fail, and the giants will keep spawning indefinitely until you manage to succeed."

"..." Song Shuhang.

Is this like a continuous make-up test you would keep taking until you succeed?

"Moreover, since little friend Song Shuhang can't use true qi right now, the giants won't use it, either, and will only rely on their physical strength." Venerable Seventh Cultivator of True Virtue snapped his fingers and said, "In that case, let's begin!"

Outside the city walls, the hundred giant Seventh Cultivators of True Virtue roared and charged toward the city walls.

The ten meters tall city walls couldn't possibly stop the giants. If they were allowed to come closer, they would simply leap over it.

Senior Seventh Cultivator of True Virtue, it's not correct to give them a favorable treatment!

"Right, I'll give you another reminder. Little friend Shuhang, do you see the fist-shaped marks on the bodies of the giants? Find the marks and hit them there with all your strength. The mark is the fatal weakness of the giants," Venerable Seventh Cultivator of True Virtue said.

The corner of Song Shuhang's mouth twitched. Then, he took a deep breath and operated the ❮Virtuous Man's Ten Thousand Mile Walk❯ footwork, heading toward the city walls. He wanted to shift the battlefield to the city walls or directly outside the ancient city if possible.

❄️❄️❄️

Just as Song Shuhang jumped onto the city walls, a ten meters tall giant arrived in front of them and grabbed the walls with his hands, revealing half of his head.

On the top of the head of the giant was a mark.

"That's good." Song Shuhang jumped high up and took the treasured saber Broken Tyrant in his hands, slashing toward the giant in the next instant.

"Right, I forgot to tell you something. Little friend Shuhang, I'm about to increase the gravity by three times!" Venerable Seventh Cultivator of True Virtue voice was transmitted once more.

Senior, don't backstab me like this!

Song Shuhang had a very bad premonition.

Just as he was thinking, he felt his body sink. Due to the gravity suddenly increasing while he was midair, Song Shuhang lost his balance.

The ten meters tall giant seized the opportunity and swung his palm toward Song Shuhang, trying to crush him like a mosquito... the bodies of the giants were made of pure energy and were thus unaffected by the gravity change.

❄️❄️❄️

Venerable Seventh Cultivator of True Virtue stood in the air with both hands behind the back, looking at Song Shuhang battling against the giants.

Next to him was the jade white lion, Fourth Cultivator of True Virtue, who had just returned. The two of them were standing side by side. "Seventh Cultivator of True Virtue, I can't seem to find anything special about little friend Shuhang... he doesn't have a special, cultivation-related constitution, and he has missed the best period for cultivators to build their foundation. His battle experience is also very normal. There doesn't seem to be anything eye-catching about him..."

"And yet, he has advanced to the Second Stage Realm in only two months..." Venerable Seventh Cultivator of True Virtue said with a faint smile.