Meanwhile on the dark path.

Feng Wu and her friends continued to walk along the path. The farther they went, the more mysterious it was. They couldn"t see - that was a constant - but gradually they lost their other senses as well.

Though they knew they were holding hands, they couldn"t feel it. How terrible was that? The only way to return to normal was to leave, so they kept moving forward on the path that continued endlessly in front of them.

Fortunately for Feng Wu, she was a simple-minded person. Plus there was Xiao Chun pure sword, who she could always chat with since he was inside her dantian.

Xiao Chun had contacted her after she lost her other senses. Xiao Chun told her if she continued forward her strength would increase, but she would lose her mind and be stuck in the dark forever if she stopped.

Those who have never been locked in the dark without their senses wouldn"t know how terrible it is. It"s like you"re the last person in the world. Staying sane in a situation like that would be remarkable.

She didn"t know how long she"d been walking, but eventually Feng Wu saw light peeking through a hole on the path ahead. She instinctively walked toward it. She couldn"t feel the others, so she didn"t know if they were still with her, but she knew they would meet if everyone walked to the end.

Ming Xi"s face was pale as he reached the end point of the corridor and entered a cave. Despite his exceptionally strong mind, the dark had nearly shattered his ego and entrapped him forever.

The others might not know the origins of the path they were on, but he did. He realized what it was after losing all his other senses.

The path was basically a corridor meant to strengthen humanity.

No one knew who first came up with the idea, but according to legend, it existed since ancient times. Back then people were able to attain G.o.dhood through cultivation. Those that became G.o.ds sometimes built these dark corridors inside the legacies they left behind, hoping people would use it to strengthen themselves, and thus move humanity forward.

They were called Nightmare corridors because they truly were nightmarish.

The corridor was a sensory deprivation area that fed on your fears. Once you reached the center, whatever fears or emotions you had would be magnified. They would continue to magnify neverendingly. The weak-willed would collapse immediately from the pressure; indeed many perished inside.

Ming Xi was certain the corridor they were in was a Nightmare corridor. Going through it was a huge risk, but that risk came with tremendous rewards. Anyone who successfully came out of it gained mental clarity.

That clarity would come in handy when it came time to advance. In fact many of the most powerful people in the past went through the corridor. As long as they didn"t suffer unusual bad luck, they would definitely become the most powerful amongst their peers. Plenty rose to G.o.dhood.

But that was many thousands of years ago, and since then Nightmare corridors had been relegated to the annals of history; especially since the heirs of the G.o.ds no longer descended. clarification in later chapters, probably… (clc) He never expected to encounter one.

He was alone in the cave, so he knew he was the only one who completed it so far. There was nothing around him other than a small opening, which he guessed was the exit. He stared at it but didn"t move to leave yet. Instead he sat down, closed his eyes and meditated, gathering his qi focus.

Few knew he was a dual wielder, that because of his lineage, he was both a powerful magician and sword master. In fact, regarding magical arts, there were only two people in all of Xingguang Holy Academy who were qualified to teach him.

It was because of this that he chose the Sword Master division when he entered school. He rarely used magic in battle, preferring to use a sword instead.

Time ticked by. Ming Xi didn"t move until he heard the sound of soft footsteps. He slowly opened his eyes. For a brief moment they had a mysterious golden glow.

"Senior Ming Xi!" Feng Wu saw Ming Xi meditating as soon as she entered the cave. She happily walked toward him.

Ming Xi stood up and looked at her. Her face and expression were normal, but it was because they were normal that it seemed odd. Nightmare corridors didn"t physically attack you, but they did attack your mind by overwhelming you emotionally and mentally. And in such an endless and solitary darkness, something like that was just as dangerous. Most people couldn"t handle it.

As tough as he was, he had nearly succ.u.mbed, so it was incredible such a dainty girl went through it utterly unaffected.

"Xiao Wu, are you OK?" Although she looked a lot better than he did when he completed the Nightmare corridor, he couldn"t help but double check.

She nodded her head. "Yes."

"Sit down and rest a bit while we wait for Pei Qing and Drew." He patted her head gently as he said this.

Feng Wu nodded and obediently sat down. Ming Xi sat down next to her and quietly watched her as she meditated.

He didn"t know what level she was, but he sensed she was strong. Now watching her, that sense only grew.

Using his own qi he was able to see a formidable power gathering around Feng Wu. It was a simple qi too. She had a unique method for focusing and replenishing her qi.

Everyone absorbed qi the same way on the Big Six, but not everyone used the same method to do so. Sword masters had a few tricks and clan secrets that influenced the speed and strength they absorbed qi. Each method had its own advantages and disadvantages. He could tell a little bit about Feng Wu"s method by watching her. The method she practiced was very powerful, one with few rivals even among his own peers.

Her method surprised him. What kind of method was this? Why was the qi cultivated from her method so different from the qi cultivated from the normal method.

He was curious but he wasn"t going to ask. Everyone had their secrets. Lord knew he had plenty himself - enough to last a lifetime. There was no reason for him to pry more from others.

Feng Wu stopped meditating after fifteen minutes. She opened her eyes to find Ming Xi staring intently at her. Any other girl would have blushed out of nervousness.