Cultivating Disciples to Breakthrough

Emerging from the wooden gate back inside the Valley of Illusory Beasts, Xuan Hao didn't immediately rush forward and start killing the illusory beast to try and increase his comprehension of the Dao of Illusions. Instead, he decided to observe the situation inside the valley over the next few days to make sure that there wasn't some powerful illusory beast that had emerged during his two-week absence following the death of the Peak Soul Ascension Realm illusory beast.

Luckily, after observing the valley closely, he didn't find any signs of a powerful illusory beast hiding anywhere. The only thing he found during the few days spent observing the valley was that a few of the Soul Ascension Realm illusory beasts that he had killed earlier had reappeared inside the valley. Giving him an official confirmation that Soul Ascension Realm illusory beasts could indeed reappear like the Domain Lord Realm illusory beasts if given time.

I should start with clearing out the Soul Ascension Realm illusory beast that has returned before making my way deeper inside the valley. Not only that, but I should properly also start to check up on the other Peak Soul Ascension Realm illusory beast deeper inside the valley…

Thinking this to himself as he glanced in the direction of the closest Peak Soul Ascension Realm illusory beast's territory, Xuan Hao could not help wondering how he would fare against the more powerful Peak Soul Ascension Realm illusory beasts now that he had reached the Small Success Realm in the Dao of Illusions.

At the very least, considering that the strength of his soul had experienced a substantial increase in strength following the breakthrough to the Small Success Realm in the Dao of Illusions, he should in theory be far more resistant to the different attacks of the illusory beasts and have a far easier time dealing with them compared to before.

Although he hadn't personally tested it yet, he felt more eager than ever to challenge the other Peak Soul Ascension Realm illusory beasts in the valley, that is… If he didn't fear potentially provoking a more powerful existence lurking deeper inside the valley…

For now, he decided to go with safest option and kill the weaker illusory beasts until they no longer proved useful for increasing his comprehension of the Dao of Illusions. Only then would he think about targeting the rest of the Peak Soul Ascension Realm illusory beasts in the valley.

Whoosh~

Ptsh-!

"Hm? The effect reduced by so much compared to before…"

Unfortunately for Xuan Hao, after killing his first Soul Ascension Realm illusory beast after returning from the Ephemeral Forest did, he discover that the increase in comprehension had decreased to a point where it was almost negligible.

Even from his best estimates, he doubted he would be able to go on for more than three months before anything below the Peak of the Soul Ascension Realm ended up becoming completely useless in increasing his comprehension of the Dao of illusions.

Whoosh-!

However, even knowing this, Xuan Hao didn't let it affect him as he began focusing all of his attention on killing the illusory beast to increase his comprehension of the Dao of Illusions. At the same time making sure not to kill off all of the illusory beast he encountered. Fearing that killing all of them might end up catching the attention of the more powerful existences that might be hidden deeper inside the valley.

That was of course if they had not already become aware of his presence.

…

A few minutes earlier when Xuan Hao had suddenly pulled the rabbit demon beast and the squirrel into the small space inside his sleeve, the squirrel could not help letting out a panicked squeak as it began looking around itself filled with confusion.

Squeak? Squeak!

However, this confusion soon turned into greed as it spotted that large pile of spirit stones in a corner of the space. Even if the squirrel had no idea about what spirit stones were, it could still inherently feel that eating them would prove beneficial for increasing its strength-

Whoosh-!

Wasting no time, the squirrel completely forgot about the existence of the rabbit demon beast as it rushed towards the pile of spirit stones. Ready to devour all of them-

SQUEAK!

BANG!

Unfortunately, before the squirrel had the chance to reach the spirit stones, the rabbit demon beast flew into action and knocked some sense into the greedy squirrel.

No matter how kind it was to the squirrel, there was no way that the rabbit demon beast would ever give it any of its spirit stones.

The only reason why the squirrel had even managed to approach the spirit stones just now was because the rabbit demon beast had been shocked at the sudden growth of the space that it had already begun to think of as its own home.

Other than that, there was also the fact that the pile of spirit stones had been placed there by Xuan Hao when he had expanded the space inside the pocket and the rabbit demon beast had no idea about their presence before the squirrel had begun rushing towards them with an expression of greed plastered all over its face.

S-squeak…

Having understood that the spirit stones were not something that it could touch, the squirrel slowly got up from the ground as it bowed its head in apology towards the rabbit demon beast.

Squeak!

Showing a very cute looking frown in response, the rabbit demon beast wasted no time as it resumed the training of the squirrel. Making full use of the now much larger space.

S-s-sq-squeak!

Soon enough, the painful squeaks of the squirrel echoed out across the small space, while the rabbit demon beast was instructing it from atop the large pile of spirit stones. Enjoying a few spirit stones every now and then as it taught the squirrel.

…

As the days came and went inside the Valley of Illusory Beasts, Xuan Hao began grow increasingly worried as he felt the effectiveness of the illusory beasts when it came to his comprehension of the Dao of Illusions reducing at a speed exceeding his first estimate. 

After no more than a month since returning to the valley, the only illusory beasts brining him any form of benefits were the ones at the Fifth Tribulation of the Soul Ascension Realm and above… And continuing at his current pace, it would not be long before only those in the Sixth Tribulation of the Soul Ascension Realm and above would be of any use to improving his comprehension of the Dao of Illusions.

The worst part was that he had no idea how far away from the Large Success Realm he was. In a sense, he still felt like he had barely scratched the surface and was far away from reaching the halfway point, let alone the Peak of the Small Success Realm.

It was only at this moment that Xuan Hao realized just how difficult it would be to comprehend a dao to the Large Success Realm.

Even with the assistance of the illusory beasts and his rather high talent, he still felt that it would at least take another year or two… And that was only considering that he could continue to find illusory beasts that helped increase his comprehension of the Dao of Illusions. 

If he was on his own and didn't have the boost in comprehension that came along with killing the illusory beasts, he feared that it might take a dozen years or longer to reach the Large Success Realm in the Dao of Illusions. At which point it might be better for him to focus on a dao he was more familiar with and had a better way to ensure stable progress.

In the end, the only reason why he was focusing on the Dao of Illusions was because of the presence of the illusory beasts…

ROOOOAR-!

Just as Xuan Hao was thinking about what to do in case wouldn't be able to use the illusory beasts to increase his comprehension of the Dao of Illusions, a loud roar echoed out from deep within the valley.

"This is…"

Turning to look in the direction that the loud roar had come from, Xuan Hao could not help narrowing both his eyes as he clearly felt two powerful auras clashing with each other the next moment.

"Someone is fighting an illusory beast…?" Noticing the distinct aura belonging to an illusory beast and one belonging to a normal cultivator, Xuan Hao could not help narrowing both of his eyes in surprise.

Given how he had not met anyone during the four or so months he had spent inside the valley so far, he had expected to have been the only person inside the valley, but… From the looks of things, that was not the case!

Then again, he bought the information about the place from the intelligence department of the Blue Sea Empire, it was not odd that they had already sold information about the place to others before him.

The only worrying part was that the strength of the person deeper inside the valley had clearly reached the Peak of the Soul Ascension Realm and even felt like it was infinitely close to the Earth Immortal Realm.