After dealing with the strange crimson grass, Lu Yuan continued deeper into the Blackthorn Forest. Every now and then, he would encounter a monster, whether beast or plant-type.
Most of the monsters possessed strength equivalent to the 1st Level of the Spirit Gathering Realm, with only a few among them reaching the 2nd Level.
As such, Lu Yuan spent almost no effort dealing with them. Despite the weakness of his opponents, he noticed some subtle changes taking place within him.
After each fight, his proficiency in the Sevenfold War Saber Art improved, even if only slightly.
By the end, although Lu Yuan could only deliver three continuous blows, he had grown far more comfortable doing so.
'Sure enough. A martial skill like the Sevenfold War Saber Art was created for battle. Fighting different opponents is the fastest way to progress.'
Of course, it was also risky, if not deadly.
Despite knowing this, Lu Yuan didn't linger for long where the weaker monsters lived. Instead, he walked deeper into the forest.
At the same time, his gaze landed on the shining blade of his saber, and his thoughts drifted.
'According to the Sevenfold War Saber Art, saber practice is also divided into different stages: Unity, Saber Force, and Saber Intent.'
'A cultivator who reaches the Unity Stage at the Spirit Gathering Realm is considered talented, while reaching the Saber Force Stage marks a true genius.'
As for reaching the Saber Intent Stage while still at the Spirit Gathering Realm? According to the martial skill, such a feat was nearly impossible.
Lu Yuan was both familiar and unfamiliar with these stages.
They were unfamiliar because he'd never heard of them before, yet familiar because he had experienced one firsthand.
That's right. Lu Yuan had briefly reached the Unity Stage before, the stage where a cultivator and their saber "will become one", improving their reaction speed, combat intuition, and insight.
It was when he first transmigrated to this world and had a fight with the Shadow Serpent that he briefly entered the Unity Stage under the threat of life and death.
This experience was what made Lu Yuan so eager to enter the Blackthorn Forest.
He felt that only through fighting and experiencing real danger could he hope to reach the Unity Stage.
**
Unlike what Lu Yuan was originally expecting, finding a suitable monster to spar with proved to be harder than he thought.
Half a day had passed, yet he hadn't encountered a single creature at the 3rd Level of the Spirit Gathering, much less fought one.
This was certainly disappointing, though it gave him time to observe the forest around him.
As he ventured deeper, the plants became larger and the monsters fiercer, while even the environment itself began to change.
Lu Yuan noticed a faint difference between the surrounding spiritual energy and that of the outside world. This difference was subtle, like the difference between salt and sugar, yet easily perceptible.
If the spiritual energy in the outside world was calm and flowing, then the spiritual energy in the forest was thick and heavy, with an eerie tension that made him uncomfortable.
'I've heard that the reason why the Blackthorn Forest is considered a forbidden area stems from its strange environment.', he thought.
'Prolonged exposure to such an environment will slowly affect a cultivator's mind, and after some time, they'll find it hard to exert their full strength. This is why the major forces merely encircled the forest rather than simply destroying it.'
Having learned this before coming, Lu Yuan had expected it, yet still found himself slightly surprised.
'I wonder if there's any way to deal with this spiritual energy...', he thought.
His steps didn't pause. He stayed alert to potential threats, while a part of his mind focused inward, on his acupoints.
Controlling the spiritual energy inside, he attempted to form a thin film over his body, a defensive veil constructed entirely out of spiritual energy.
At first, he failed. But after several more tries, a faint white layer appeared, covering his skin like a very thin coat.
'It works!', he thought, though Lu Yuan had little time to celebrate.
He originally believed that the thin film of spiritual energy would repel the strange spiritual energy and keep it out, but reality made it clear that he was mistaken.
Not only did the strange spiritual energy fail to retreat upon meeting the film, but it clung to its surface before seeping inside.
Moments later, he felt it seep into his body, flowing toward his acupoints.
Lu Yuan didn't know what would happen if it reached them, though he doubted it would be good.
His heart tightened.
For the first time since he entered the forest, he faced real danger. Unfortunately, this danger didn't come from monsters, as he had expected, but from his own mistake.