Time passed swiftly.
Within the dream—
two uninterrupted weeks of practice came and went.
Ling Yue had finally succeeded.
The reconstructed sword art no longer felt unfamiliar.
She could execute it with consistency.
Every circulation route.
Every movement.
Every release of spiritual energy.
She had practiced each of them countless times until they had become second nature.
High above the endless battlefield—
the small white-scaled lizard floated silently.
His golden eyes never wavered.
Watching.
Observing.
Evaluating.
Another week passed.
Below—
Ling Yue fought a spirit beast across the endless grasslands.
Her sword flashed.
Spiritual energy surged through her meridians.
A translucent sword of qi separated from her blade before streaking toward its target.
BOOM!
The spirit beast was cleaved apart instantly.
Its body shattered into countless dream particles that scattered across the grasslands before fading away.
Lizarius watched quietly.
*She can use it.*
*But she hasn't mastered it completely.*
His thoughts flowed calmly.
Within the dream—
Ling Yue possessed limitless stamina.
Limitless spiritual energy.
She could unleash the technique over and over again without consequence.
That wasn't reality.
And because of that—
it wasn't enough.
A technique practiced without limitations could never be truly mastered.
The little lizard moved.
The surrounding dream rippled.
In the next instant—
he appeared before Ling Yue without warning.
She blinked in surprise.
"...Senior?"
His expression remained as calm as ever.
"From this point onward..."
"You will only possess the same amount of spiritual energy as your real body."
Ling Yue puffed out her cheeks.
"...That's not fair."
The lizard simply looked at her.
She folded her arms and pouted.
"You didn't even look at me while I was learning."
"Even after I finally learned it and called for you, you still wouldn't look."
"I know."
The answer came immediately.
Ling Yue blinked.
"You knew?"
"I was aware."
She stared at him.
"...That's not what I meant."
The lizard ignored her complaint entirely.
"Not only that."
He continued in the same calm tone.
"From now on..."
"Everything you experience here will feel completely real."
A brief pause.
"Pain."
"Exhaustion."
"Injury."
"...Even death."
Ling Yue's eyes widened.
"...What?"
The lizard fell silent for a moment.
*Though you shouldn't actually die.*
*At least... I assume you won't.*
He looked at her.
"You will not die."
"There is no need to concern yourself with that."
Before Ling Yue could ask another question—
the entire world vanished.
WHOOM!
The endless grasslands disappeared.
A heartbeat later—
she found herself standing alone beneath a scorching sun.
An endless sea of golden sand stretched to every horizon.
Towering dunes rolled endlessly into the distance.
Blistering winds swept across the barren landscape.
Ling Yue looked around in astonishment.
"...This place..."
Her words were abruptly cut short.
RUMBLE!
The sand beneath her feet exploded.
A massive Earth Scorpion burst from below.
Its enormous venomous stinger shot directly toward her.
Ling Yue reacted instantly.
SWISH!
She leaped backward, widening the distance between them.
Her eyes narrowed.
"A Fourth Rank spirit beast..."
"...Equivalent to a Fourth Stage Spirit Refining cultivator."
Without the slightest hesitation—
she circulated her spiritual energy.
The newly reconstructed sword art activated.
Spiritual energy rapidly condensed along her sword.
Then—
a translucent sword of qi separated from the blade.
"Go!"
The sword qi shot forward.
BOOOOM!!
The Earth Scorpion was obliterated instantly.
The explosion carved an enormous crater into the desert floor.
Sand erupted high into the sky.
Silence followed.
Ling Yue remained standing where she was.
Then—
she suddenly leaned forward.
"Hah..."
"Hah..."
Her breathing became noticeably heavier.
She stared at the hand gripping her sword.
Disbelief filled her eyes.
"...Only one attack..."
She could feel it clearly.
The emptiness inside her dantian.
The tremendous amount of spiritual energy that had vanished.
"...That consumed sixty percent of my spiritual energy..."
Her eyes widened even further.
"...That much?"
Only now did she truly understand.
This—
was the genuine cost of using the technique.
The previous months of training had hidden that fact from her.
She hadn't even finished processing the realization—
RUMBLE!
The desert shook once more.
Another Earth Scorpion erupted from beneath the sand.
The endless desert shimmered beneath the blazing sun.
Heat distorted the distant horizon.
Golden grains of sand drifted lazily through the air.
Ling Yue landed lightly upon the scorching ground, immediately widening the distance between herself and the beast.
Several dozen meters away—
the enormous Earth Scorpion hissed menacingly.
Its rocky carapace reflected the harsh sunlight.
Its massive pincers slowly opened.
Its venomous tail rose high above its body.
Fourth Stage Spirit Refining.
Exactly equal to her current cultivation.
Ling Yue steadied her breathing.
"...Only forty percent remains..."
She lowered her gaze toward the sword in her hand.
The single sword qi she had released moments ago had consumed well over half of her spiritual energy.
Only now did she realize just how luxurious the previous months of training had truly been.
Within the unrestricted dream—
she had never needed to worry about spiritual energy.
Never needed to consider exhaustion.
She could repeat techniques endlessly.
Fight endlessly.
Experiment endlessly.
But now—
every movement mattered.
Every decision carried a cost.
The Earth Scorpion suddenly lunged.
BOOM!
Sand exploded beneath its powerful legs.
Ling Yue reacted immediately.
Her movement technique activated.
WHOOSH!
She barely avoided the crushing pincers.
The impact shattered the desert where she had been standing only a heartbeat earlier.
Before she could counterattack—
the venomous tail descended.
SWISH!
She rolled sideways.
The stinger buried itself deep within the sand.
An instant later—
BOOM!
A violent explosion erupted.
Poison spread rapidly through the surrounding ground, turning the golden sand an ominous shade of black.
Ling Yue's pupils contracted.
*That would've killed me...*
Or rather—
it would've felt exactly like dying.
She remembered the senior's words.
*"Everything you experience here will feel completely real."*
A chill slowly crept down her spine.
For the first time since entering the dream—
fear returned.
Real fear.
Not because she believed she could truly die—
but because the pain...
The suffering...
The terror...
would all be completely real.
Far above—
Lizarius floated silently.
His golden eyes followed every movement without missing a single detail.
*Good.*
The pressure had already changed her approach.
Before—
she had relied solely upon overwhelming force.
Now—
she was thinking.
Calculating.
Managing her spiritual energy.
Only under genuine limitations could efficiency be measured.
The Earth Scorpion attacked again.
This time—
Ling Yue didn't immediately respond.
Instead—
she waited.
She watched.
The enormous pincer swept toward her.
Only when it was mere inches away—
did she move.
One step.
Nothing more.
The attack missed completely.
She slipped past the creature's side with the smallest possible movement.
Her sword flashed.
CLANG!
Sparks erupted.
The blade barely scratched the Earth Scorpion's rocky shell.
Ling Yue immediately retreated.
*Too hard...*
The beast turned.
Its venomous tail whipped toward her once again.
This time—
Ling Yue didn't dodge immediately.
Instead—
she raised her sword.
Closed her eyes for the briefest moment.
Remember.
Compress.
Condense.
Guide.
The spiritual energy within her dantian flowed exactly as Senior had taught her.
Layer upon layer.
Not stronger—
denser.
Her breathing gradually slowed.
Beside her blade—
a translucent sword-shaped construct slowly formed.
Unstable.
Yet complete.
Ling Yue's eyes snapped open.
*Now!*
SHING!
The condensed sword qi shot forward.
It was much smaller than before.
Much weaker.
Yet—
far more refined.
It struck directly between the Earth Scorpion's eyes.
CRACK!
Its rocky shell fractured.
The enormous beast staggered backward.
A smile instinctively spread across Ling Yue's face.
"It used less spiritual energy..."
She could feel the difference immediately.
This strike hadn't consumed sixty percent of her reserves.
Perhaps—
twenty percent.
Maybe even less.
For the first time—
understanding was beginning to replace brute force.
Far above—
Lizarius gave the faintest nod.
*Adaptation.*
Exactly as expected.
When resources became finite—
optimization naturally followed.
Humans learned remarkably quickly when placed under sufficient pressure.
The wounded Earth Scorpion let out a furious roar.
Its spiritual aura suddenly surged.
The surrounding desert trembled violently.
Ling Yue's smile disappeared.
"...It's getting serious."
Before she could react—
RUMBLE!
The ground beneath her feet exploded.
Another Earth Scorpion burst upward from beneath the sand.
Its venomous stinger shot toward her from below.
Too close.
Too sudden.
Ling Yue's pupils contracted.
There wasn't enough time.
Her body twisted instinctively.
But it wasn't enough.
SHLK!
The venomous stinger pierced straight through her shoulder.
"AHH—!"
Agonizing pain exploded throughout her body.
Ling Yue stumbled backward.
Her face turned deathly pale.
It hurt.
Far more than she had imagined.
The pain wasn't dulled.
It wasn't dreamlike.
It felt exactly like reality.
She collapsed onto one knee, clutching her bleeding shoulder.
"...So..."
She forced out a shaky breath.
"...this is what he meant..."
Even breathing had become difficult.
Each movement sent another wave of searing pain through her body.
High above—
Lizarius observed silently.
His expression never changed.
He had deliberately allowed pain to exist within the dream.
Without pain—
there was no caution.
Without consequences—
there was no meaningful combat experience.
A battle without risk taught nothing.
Ling Yue gritted her teeth.
Slowly—
she forced herself back to her feet.
Her injured arm trembled uncontrollably.
Blood stained the sleeve of her robe.
She looked at the two Earth Scorpions surrounding her from opposite sides.
Then—
she laughed weakly.
"...Senior..."
"You really don't go easy on people..."
The little white lizard answered from above in the same calm voice as always.
"I wasn't attempting to."
Ling Yue could only smile bitterly.
"...I know."
She tightened her grip on her sword.
The fear in her heart gradually settled.
Her breathing slowly became steady once again.
*This isn't the old training anymore.*
*Every mistake has a price.*
*If I waste spiritual energy... I'll lose.*
*If I panic... I'll lose.*
*If I hesitate... I'll lose.*
The two Earth Scorpions charged simultaneously.
Ling Yue slowly lowered her stance.
This time—
there was no excitement.
No confidence.
Only absolute concentration.
Far above the battlefield—
the small white-scaled lizard continued watching in silence.
Every movement.
Every decision.
Every mistake.
Every improvement.
Another experiment had begun.
The desert battlefield trembled violently.
Sand erupted beneath the charging Earth Scorpions.
Ling Yue inhaled slowly.
Then—
she moved.
WHOOSH!
Her movement technique carried her forward instead of backward.
She charged directly toward the two spirit beasts.
The first Earth Scorpion reacted immediately.
RUMBLE!
A jagged earth spike burst from beneath the sand.
Ling Yue twisted her body in the middle of her stride.
The spike grazed the edge of her sleeve.
Missing her by no more than the width of a finger.
She never slowed.
The second Earth Scorpion raised its venomous tail.
HISSS—
A dense cloud of poisonous mist erupted toward her.
Ling Yue calmly raised her left arm.
Her defensive technique activated instantly.
A translucent layer of spiritual energy coated the glove protecting her hand.
The poisonous mist crashed against the barrier.
SSSS—
The spiritual energy hissed violently as the venom rapidly corroded its surface.
Without the slightest hesitation—
Ling Yue stepped straight through the fading cloud.
Her right hand tightened around the hilt of her sword.
This time—
she didn't force herself to create a sword qi projection.
Instead—
she recalled the past four months.
Every correction.
Every mistake.
Every failure.
Every battle.
Every lesson.
The reconstructed sword art was never simply about releasing sword qi.
That was only its final expression.
The true foundation lay elsewhere.
Movement.
Timing.
Efficiency.
Her sword moved naturally.
Like flowing water finding its course.
One step.
One turn.
One slash.
SHING!
The blade traced a graceful arc through the air.
The first Earth Scorpion's right pincer separated cleanly from its body.
Before the severed limb even struck the sand—
Ling Yue pivoted.
Borrowing the momentum from her first strike.
A second slash followed immediately.
SHING!
The creature's venomous tail spun into the air.
Its furious roar instantly became a shrill cry of pain.
Ling Yue never stopped moving.
Her body slipped effortlessly past the staggering beast.
Then came the third strike.
Simple.
Clean.
Precise.
Her blade cut through the weakened gap in its armor.
CRACK!
The Earth Scorpion split neatly in two.
Its enormous body collapsed onto the sand before dissolving into countless particles of light.
Ling Yue remained standing.
Her breathing had grown heavier.
Yet it was far steadier than it had been at the beginning of the battle.
Far above—
Lizarius watched in silence.
*Interesting.*
She was no longer relying solely on the technique he had reconstructed.
She was beginning to merge it with her own swordsmanship.
Adapting it.
Refining it.
Making it her own.
That—
was the true purpose of learning.
The second Earth Scorpion reached her.
It lunged with astonishing speed.
Its enormous pincer swept toward her head.
Ling Yue didn't even look at it.
She stood perfectly still.
Waiting.
Watching.
The instant the pincer entered her range—
she moved.
A single sidestep.
Barely enough.
The massive claw swept harmlessly past her shoulder.
At that exact moment—
her sword flashed upward.
SHING!
The blade carved along the creature's foreleg.
Its balance immediately collapsed.
The massive beast lurched sideways.
Before it could recover—
Ling Yue appeared beneath its raised body.
Her spiritual energy condensed once more.
Not sixty percent.
Not even twenty.
Only exactly what was necessary.
A faint sword-shaped construct formed along the edge of her blade.
Small.
Condensed.
Perfectly stable.
She thrust upward.
SHING!
The blade pierced directly through the softer armor beneath the Earth Scorpion's abdomen.
The condensed sword qi erupted inside its body.
BOOM!
Cracks spread rapidly throughout its rocky shell.
The Earth Scorpion froze.
Its body trembled once.
Then—
it exploded into countless fragments of light before dissolving into the dream itself.
Silence returned to the endless desert.
Only drifting sand remained.
Ling Yue slowly lowered her sword.
She let out a long breath.
"...That..."
A smile gradually spread across her face.
"...used less than half of my spiritual energy."
She could feel the difference more clearly than ever.
She wasn't becoming stronger.
She was becoming more efficient.
Far above—
the small white-scaled lizard gave an almost imperceptible nod.
The result matched his expectations.
Under genuine limitations, Ling Yue had discarded unnecessary movements, refined her technique, and learned to expend only the amount of spiritual energy each strike truly required.
Only when resources became scarce could true mastery begin to emerge.
Without saying a single word—
Lizarius continued watching.
The dream world rippled once more.
Across the endless desert—
three new presences slowly emerged from beneath the shifting sands.
Each one radiated a noticeably stronger aura than the last.
The next stage of her training had begun.