Infinite Mask Game.

Chapter 318 Breaking the Situation
Xuanji Hall was the emperor's sleeping quarters. Since its construction, the emperor had lived and handled state affairs here.

The Imperial Garden is located outside the back gate of the Xuanji Hall.

Lu Shaoqing and Wei Miao entered the Imperial Study one after the other.

The Imperial Study was not large. Upon entering, one faced a rosewood daybed with a rattan seat, next to a carved round window. A small square table sat on the bed, with a purple clay teapot in the center.

To the left of the entrance is a long mahogany table piled with numerous memorials, seemingly scattered but actually discernible into three piles. A small ink brush hangs precariously from the edge of the table.

On the right is a row of tall bookshelves, where many past files are kept for easy access. It can be said that Da Rong's most core secrets are hidden here.

Other small items, such as vases, incense burners, and calligraphy and paintings, are carefully placed in various corners, creating a rather tranquil atmosphere.

At Lu Shaoqing's suggestion, the two sat cross-legged facing each other on the Luohan couch.

"How does it feel to break through to the seventh level?"

Lu Shaoqing personally warmed the teapot and brewed the tea, a casual gesture that indicated the conversation was nothing more than idle chatter.

But his question was difficult to answer. Because Wei Miao had no real sense of breakthrough, and couldn't find the answer in her memory.

She could only cautiously reply, "It feels good."

This was clearly not the answer Lu Shaoqing wanted. His gaze swept over the tea set with a scrutinizing air.

He chuckled and said, "When I broke through to the Seventh Sect, I felt that the keynote of this realm was inseparable from the word 'suppression'."

After a moment's thought, Wei Miao understood his idea: "Is it because you can't get rid of the torment of your inner demons?"

"Not only that, but also because there is no way out at the end of the Seven Sects."

When Lu Shaoqing wasn't smiling, his phoenix eyes looked somewhat cold and stern.

“Everyone who enters the Seven Schools aspires to cultivate themselves; no one willingly believes that the Seven Schools are the end.”

"At least, the existence of the statues proves this point; they are undoubtedly more powerful than the Seven Sects. The inner demons originate from the statues, and the warriors of the Seven Sects are still unable to escape the control of their inner demons."

Wei Miao agreed with this statement. One could say that the idol created the warriors. How could a creation be more powerful than its creator?
The existence of the idols remains a mystery. As external entities, the extraordinary nature of this world depends on them for its existence, but to this day, no one has been able to fully comprehend their essence.

Even the essence of cultivation is highly controversial. Martial artists spend their entire lives cultivating, yet they don't know exactly what they are cultivating.

The Seven Sects have reached a dead end; this is the most despairing verdict for the warriors of the Seven Sects.

Since the visualization method became widely known, no martial artist has emerged who surpasses the Seven Sects in all these years. Although the Seven Sects differ in strength, no one has truly undergone a qualitative transformation.

In other words, countless brilliant people have tried and failed to find a new path to heaven at the end of the Seven Sects.

As Lu Shaoqing poured tea, he said, "Now that you've reached this level, how do you plan to proceed?"

Wei Miao understood; this conversation was more like an exchange of insights between martial artists.

Lu Shaoqing wants to reach a higher level, but hasn't found a way yet, and would like to consult her for advice.

"I am new to the Seven Sects and my knowledge is limited. What I know and say is nothing more than speculation." Wei Miao first humbly said this to pave the way for the future, and then said, "Perhaps the power that the statue can bestow upon us only allows us to reach the Seven Sects."

A cup of tea was handed to her, and Lu Shaoqing looked up, staring intently at her.

Wei Miao doesn't practice the idol system, so she can transcend the framework and judge from the player's perspective and knowledge. By analogy, players in games typically have a level cap, constrained by code; without using cheats, they cannot break through that cap.

The idols act as "planners," using visualization techniques as a tool to achieve this effect. The upper limit of visualization techniques lies here; the essence of the Seven Paths to No Path lies in the fact that the cultivation of visualization techniques has reached its limit, with no further advancement possible. "Since visualization techniques have reached their limit, if one wishes to improve further, one must either raise the upper limit of visualization techniques or change to a different cultivation method."

Wei Miao took a sip of tea, which was slightly bitter but had a sweet aftertaste.

She heard Lu Shaoqing ask, "Then which one do you think is more likely?"

"It's unlikely," Wei Miao replied conservatively.

In fact, she believes the latter has a better chance.

The seven martial artists have completed their visualization of the divine image. Raising the upper limit of the visualization method means that they can visualize even more content.

The statue cannot possibly multiply to have three heads and six arms, thus adding more content for visualization out of thin air. Moreover, the standard for determining the Seven Sects is the complete visualization of the statue. In essence, even if the statue could grow into more forms, when a martial artist completes the visualization, their realm will still be the Seven Sects.

Changing to a different practice means abandoning visualization and using new methods to promote the growth of one's own power.

It's like creating a completely new path, which is incredibly difficult.

Throughout history, no martial artist from the Seven Sects has been able to accomplish this.

Wei Miao certainly wouldn't claim to surpass all past geniuses. However, with the involvement of players in this world, who possess all sorts of strange and wonderful cultivation methods from other worlds, perhaps one of them could be applicable to the current world.

However, she does not yet fully understand the essence of the idol system of cultivation, and cannot say how feasible it is.

“People have thought of all the angles you mentioned, but none of them have been able to do it.” Lu Shaoqing said calmly. “Given your talent, with a few more years of experience, you might be able to find a way to go even further.”

Wei Miao was about to reply when a system task popped up suddenly made her pause.

[Note: You have triggered a side quest. In breakthrough dungeons, players have a chance to trigger optional side quests that are not closely related to the main questline. Failure to complete these quests will negatively impact your final score, while completing them will grant corresponding rewards. Once accepted, the quest cannot be cancelled.]

Side Quest: Breaking Through (To be accepted)

Mission Description: Seekers of the Dao are unwilling to stop. The warriors of the Seven Sects have never given up their pursuit of higher levels, only lacking certain insights and conditions. You, who, like the divine statue, hail from beyond the realm, can you find a glimmer of hope for their breakthrough?

Mission objective: Help any seven martial artists reach a new realm.

Reward: Selected term advancement

Reception time limit: within 15 minutes

Completion time limit: Before leaving the instance

To answer or not to answer?
The rewards for side quests far outweigh the penalties for failure, indicating that the system encourages players to complete side quests.

Her hesitation stemmed from the fact that the difficulty of the task was directly proportional to the reward. The reward was too tempting, but it was useless if she couldn't obtain it.

To find the path above the Seven Sects on one's own is something that the martial artists of the Seven Sects would probably worship as their patriarch and admire for generations.

How did she manage to solve a problem that no one had been able to solve for over two thousand years?
But Wei Miao accepted the offer anyway.

In the breakthrough dungeons, if you want to widen the gap with other top players, you mostly have to rely on these incredibly difficult side quests.

Spurred by the mission, Wei Miao's attitude shifted from indifference to extreme concern.

She said solemnly, "Your subject will certainly do his utmost and live up to your trust."