"A while ago, I encountered Elder Gu at the Qihuang Spirit Garden and asked him how I could break through to Tier Four cultivation. Elder Gu, however, said that there was a Passerby right beside me and countered by asking why I hadn't approached you."

This was said when He Kao and Wei Luo were "meeting for a meal" in Guanliu District.

The so-called "meeting for a meal" meant that Wei Luo invited He Kao to get a free meal, but it couldn't exactly be called a date, could it?

Recently, during these "meals," whenever Wei Luo saw or suddenly recalled a certain dish, he would invite He Kao to research how to prepare it. Sometimes, Wei Luo would prepare the ingredients, but usually, He Kao would be the one cooking.

During their meetings, Wei Luo often chatted about various things related to the Magic Sect.

A few days ago, Wei Luo had remembered a few dishes he'd tasted in Phoenix Tail Town. Some ingredients needed for these dishes weren't available at the market but could be found at the Qihuang Spirit Garden... so He Kao went there to buy them.

Lin Qingshuang found that these weren't Spirit Medicines from the medicine field and let him gather them himself in the mountains at no cost, saying only that if the meal turned out well, he should also make a meal at the Qihuang Spirit Garden next time.

Returning to the old home in Pugang Town was a bit time-consuming, so today He Kao arranged a meal in Guanliu District and took the opportunity to seek advice from Wei Luo.

Wei Luo was eating with great relish and, upon hearing He Kao, put down his chopsticks and said, "You finally decided to ask?"

"Huh?" He Kao didn't react immediately.

Wei Luo continued, "When it comes to this kind of thing, you indeed need to take the initiative."

He Kao said, "Then I'm taking the initiative now to seek your advice."

Wei Luo tilted his head, staring at He Kao, and suddenly burst out laughing.

He Kao asked, "What's so funny?"

Wei Luo said, "It took Elder Gu's reminder for you to think of asking me. So, originally when you invited me to eat, it was purely for the meal, wasn't it?"

He Kao replied, "What else could it have been, besides a simple meal?"

Wei Luo said, "But I'm a Tier Five Wanderer of the Lingxi Sect, and many people look for opportunities to ask me questions."

He Kao said, "But I've also heard that using the Celestial Secret Skill comes with a price. How could I dare casually ask you to tell my fortune?"

Wei Luo laughed again, "Fortune-telling? I'm not a fortune teller! Many things have nothing to do with celestial secrets, like what we want for dinner tonight, or whether we crave green tea or red tea."

He Kao asked, "Then how can I break through Tier Four?"

Wei Luo blinked and said, "That's a tricky question, and trying to force an answer might not yield one, and it's a bit tough."

He Kao was about to say, "Then I won't ask!" but reconsidered and changed his question to, "Then what kind of questions are unrelated to celestial secrets?"

Wei Luo said, "It's hard for me to answer—how can you break through Tier Four? But I can answer—why haven't you broken through Tier Four yet?"

He Kao quickly asked, "Then why haven't I broken through Tier Four?"

Wei Luo said, "Let me eat a few bites first; it won't taste good when it cools. Let's eat and chat... Actually, the reason is quite simple: your Tier Three cultivation isn't yet at Perfection; there's just that tiny bit of Fire missing."

This was a valid piece of nonsense, and He Kao wasn't in a rush; he simply accompanied her in eating and chatting, waiting for more details.

After a few bites, Wei Luo continued, "There's not much you can do, just persistently practice the Fundamental Heart Method every day, hoping that over time your skills deepen. If that still doesn't work, then put more effort into Applied Techniques to seek understanding and insight.

Even if you achieve Tier Three Perfection, in your case, there's still one more barrier to overcome."

This last sentence was the true key point, and He Kao hurried to ask, "What is my barrier?"

Wei Luo said, "These days, I've eaten quite a few meals you've cooked with your own hands, and I can sense the thought you put into it and can perceive your state of mind.

For most people, breaking through to Tier Four requires awareness of Demonic Affairs and refining the Heart Demon, which isn't easy, but for you, it's not that difficult. Reaching Tier Three Perfection isn't tough for you either.

But to break through to Tier Four, it's not just about mental state passing the test; your cultivation must also be up to par. The weakness or shortcoming in your practice is that your Fixed Realm isn't deep enough, and your Fixed Thought isn't pure enough.

Even if you can perceive the Heart Demon, face it directly, and refine it, so what? If your Fixed Realm isn't at that level, you can't create your own Demon Realm. What a self-created Demon Realm is, you'll understand when you reach that level."

He Kao asked, "What issue does my mental state have?"

Wei Luo said, "From what I sense, your mind is too meticulous, always seemingly full of doubts, always anxious; it seems to have become instinctive.

Even when there's nothing to worry about, even when it's purely about cultivation, you always think more than others. I'm not saying this aspect of your character is bad, but in such situations, it obstructs your practice.

You can't truly empty yourself... I may not say this appropriately... or completely let go... that's not quite accurate either... it should be to open yourself entirely, to embrace the things you need to face."

The meaning of these remarks wasn't very clear, but He Kao understood what she was getting at.

Ordinary people have too many distracting thoughts, making it difficult to enter tranquility. Advancing through the various tiers of Fixed Realm is out of the question. For He Kao, starting his practice with "Nihility View," then moving on to "Observing Me as Such," the issue of whether he can enter tranquility doesn't exist anymore.

But Wei Luo pointed out that his fixed realm was difficult to deepen because his daily mental state was always accompanied by a feeling of unease that was hard to dispel.

A person's understanding of another often comes with two restrictions.

The first is the lack of similar experiences, making true empathy impossible. Difficulty in empathizing is common between people; the only difference is the degree, because no two people can have identical experiences and feelings.

The second restriction is when both parties' situations and experiences are similar, making it difficult to escape their own limitations and discover the issues common to both.

Wei Luo's background is completely different from He Kao's. She grew up in Phoenix Tail Town, and from a young age was picked by Elder Jiang Daozhen to become his disciple, quickly rising to become a high-tier sorcerer and a high-ranking member of the Magic Sect.

She's never experienced anxiety for survival or living, nor needed to worry about her own or her loved ones' safety; she lacks the inherent unease that He Kao has.

Like a modern Eastern Country native who hears the sound of firecrackers and feels excitement and festivities, unlike people from a war-torn region whose first reaction is fear and seeking cover.

Therefore, she doesn't fear getting lost, or rather, she isn't worried about the possibility of getting lost; if holding onto a fearful mindset, it's unlikely she could reach entry-level cultivation in the Celestial Secret Skill.

In reality, the risks of cultivating the Celestial Secret Skill are the same for anyone; the difference is the mental state.

Elder Jiang Daozhen knows what his treasured student lacks, so he had her go out to experience different things in the world, choosing the location of Qi Yuan, humorously suggesting she finds He Kao to cover food and lodging.

When Wei Luo is lost, she seems unaware of her destination, yet she is actually absorbing the information of everything around her, able to see almost everything without prying... Ordinary people find it hard to comprehend the subtlety of this balance.

Her fixed realm while lost requires her to restrain her curiosity, simply feeling without interfering, so she can fully understand... Upon returning to normal, she knows what people will react in various situations.

This is referred to as Lingxi, both mystical and simple.

It's precisely people like Wei Luo who can instantly pinpoint the issues in He Kao's cultivation. He Kao himself often gets trapped within his own perceptions.

Upon hearing Wei Luo's words, He Kao first thought not of himself, but of the Blue Magpie he encountered days ago. Blue Magpie is constantly on guard against violation and harm, is even poisoned herself.

What kind of world does she see?

In terms of specific concerns in cultivation, common ones are doubt of the master and technique, and for Blue Magpie, these doubts are almost inevitable, since the so-called master Bitter Tea is a creator of the abyss, and the techniques taught by Bitter Tea come with hidden reservations.

When He Kao appeared as "elder Huo Qing," he played the role of another "master" and "dharma preacher," naturally faced with Blue Magpie's distrust, making it hard to gain her trust.

Behind the doubt of the master and technique lies a deeper problem—doubt of the world and oneself: Is there truly beauty in this world, do I really possess such fortunate destiny?

For Blue Magpie, it's necessary to rediscover the beauty in this world so she can believe in her choices.

He Kao truly knows how to ponder; no wonder Wei Luo said he was too meticulous. Wei Luo clearly referred to his issues, yet at this moment he was speculating about Blue Magpie's mindset.

Thinking of Blue Magpie, he inevitably recalled seeing Blue Magpie's condition before...

Wei Luo seemed to sense this, leaned back, crossed her arms and said: "When I said you should completely open yourself to embrace things, I meant the fixed realm during cultivation... I wasn't implying you could take advantage of me!"

He Kao was amused by her again; doesn't this girl know such words and actions hint at teasing? He laughed, saying: "Take advantage of you? I wouldn't dare to think that way!"

Wei Luo: "Then what are you thinking?"

He Kao: "I'm pondering another question. As the saying goes, knowledge trapped by perceptions is a universal hurdle; everyone faces this issue, and nobody can see through all the world's illusions—so what should we do?"

Wei Luo lowered her hands and said: "My master once asked a question—if someone isn't a lawyer, does it mean they're prone to crime?"

He Kao: "Certainly not."

Wei Luo: "Then another question, without omniscience and omnipotence, does one remain uneasy during certain times or matters?"

He Kao cupped his hand in acknowledgment: "I understand, thank you!"

Wei Luo: "Understanding doesn't equal accomplishment."

He Kao: "Just understanding how to approach things."

Wei Luo playfully waved her hand: "A teachable child indeed!" Then deliberately mimicked an old-fashioned tone, "Xiao Kao, I still think highly of you; despite the issues I mentioned, you have another side."

He Kao: "May I ask Chief Steward Wei, what side are you referring to?"

Wei Luo: "You're quite optimistic and proactive."

Her words seem spot on, though He Kao has lacked security since childhood. At least he is willing to view himself through optimistic eyes and tackles problems with a proactive mindset.

While they were eating and chatting, Lan Jiwan slipped back into Nanhua City again.

**

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