Shattering the Illusion

Wu Yang felt a strange shift in his demeanor.

He was in a dangerous situation, yet he felt no anxiety or fear.

He had attained a tranquil state of mind by aligning and moderating his feelings and wishes. He was inexplicably serene.

Wu Yang sat in a lotus position, cultivating. He was slowly channeling his Extreme Sun Sutra.

He thought that if he focused on his cultivation, he could discern the faint vibrations of the Dao and compare them with his own comprehension of the Dao.

"I don't believe that Mortal Extremity Realm experts could foresee the changes of the Dao after so long."

"The Jiaolong Continent was born over a million years ago and the Azure Profound Star Sect belonged to the Eastern Continent. That means this sect was wiped out more than a million years ago."

"How could the Mortal Extremity Realm experts of the Azure Profound Star Sect know the movements of the Dao? That's impossible!" Wu Yang muttered to himself as he pondered.

An hour had passed...

A handsome youth with bright yellow eyes rose to his feet and scanned his surroundings.

Wu Li searched for Lin Xiaoqing and Wu Yang. He saw that Lin Xiaoqing was still in the Illusion Trial. He couldn't spot Wu Yang at the start of the Azure Profound Bridge.

He looked further and noticed him at the end of the Azure Profound Bridge, close to the Jade Platform.

Wu Li approached Wu Yang and said with a worried expression, "Brother Yang, I don't mean to interrupt you, but what are you doing? You only need one more step to reach the Jade Platform and pass the test."

Wu Yang opened his eyes from his cultivation and shook his head, "Brother Li, I can't tell if I'm in an illusion or not, so please go ahead without me. I think that if I'm in an illusion and I step on the Jade Platform, I will fail the Illusion Trial."

Wu Li smiled and said, "Brother Yang, you're being too cautious! Just step on the Jade Platform, there's no chance you're still in the Illusion Trial, otherwise how could I be talking to you right now?"

Wu Yang frowned in annoyance. He was almost certain that he was still in the Illusion Trial, judging by Wu Li's behavior.

"Brother Li, you go first. I'll follow you soon," Wu Yang said.

Wu Li bit his lip and said, "Fine, Brother Yang, but don't blame me if you miss this chance! I'll wait for you!"

Wu Yang nodded his head, but he thought to himself, "Wu Li wouldn't have urged me to step on the Jade Platform. But I still need to examine this situation. I'm not sure yet, ninety percent certainty doesn't mean that I'm right."

He closed his eyes and continued to cultivate the Extreme Sun Sutra, wanting to observe the fluctuations of the Dao and compare them with his own understanding.

An incense stick burned away, and now it was Lin Xiaoqing that got up.

She looked around with her beautiful eyes and felt a pang of envy when she saw that Wu Li and Wu Yang passed the Illusion Trial faster than her.

As she walked towards the Jade Platform, she noticed Wu Yang and wondered what he was doing.

Lin Xiaoqing asked, "Brother Yang, what are you doing? You know that there's only one spot left after I step on the Jade Platform."

Wu Yang opened his eyes and glanced at Lin Xiaoqing and said, "Talk to Wu Li if you want to know more, I'm busy right now."

Lin Xiaoqing nodded and stepped on the Jade Platform.

Another incense stick burned out, and another person rose from their position.

It was a man in his thirties, Luo Anran, who had broken through the Illusion Trial.

He was a Nascent Soul Realm cultivator from the Heavenly Spirit Empire, and he had reached the Nascent Soul Realm in 150 years. He was now 400 years old.

Luo Anran had a calm mind and didn't boast about his achievement.

Of course, since he had reached the Nascent Soul Realm in 150 years, that meant that his Spiritual Root was of the Earth Grade, though the lowest kind of Earth Grade.

He crossed the Azure Profound Bridge with ease.

He saw Wu Yang and was astonished. There was actually someone who didn't want to step on the Jade Platform.

"Little Brother, may I ask why you're not stepping on the Jade Platform?" Luo Anran asked, curious.

Wu Yang opened his eyes and looked at him.

He still couldn't verify that he was still in the Illusion Trial by comparing his own comprehension of the Dao with the Dao fluctuations that he felt while cultivating, but he was sure that he was still in the Illusion Trial.

Wu Yang had enough time to step on the Jade Platform before Luo Anran, and the latter stopped walking and started chatting with him. This made him be confident in his judgement.

Knowing this, Wu Yang smiled faintly. "Haha, Big Brother, please go ahead. I'm not qualified enough to enter the Secret Realm."

Wu Li, Wu Feng and Lin Xiaoqing all looked worried.

"Brother Yang, please step on the Jade Platform, otherwise you'll miss the chance to enter the Secret Realm. Don't doubt yourself, you are worthy enough, after all, you are my sworn brother!" Wu Li said.

Wu Feng agreed and said, "That's right, you are worthy, after all, you passed the Illusion Trial fast. Very few here can match your speed in passing the Illusion Trial."

Wu Yang shook his head, he wasn't tempted to step on the Jade Platform.

He also wondered if Wu Feng was really here, or if he was just a part of his Illusion Trial.

Luo Anran nodded and said with a smile, "Well, since you don't think you're qualified, then I won't be polite and step on the Jade Platform!"

Wu Yang smiled back, "Go ahead!"

Luo Anran stepped on the Jade Platform and a startling change occurred.

Crack! Crack!

The space seemed to shatter like glass and Wu Yang passed the Illusion Trial.

He was at the start of the Azure Profound Bridge. He looked around and saw that Wu Li and Lin Xiaoqing were nowhere to be seen. He guessed that they had already passed.

He stood up and began to walk on the Azure Profound Bridge. Since he had a decent Earth Grade Spiritual Root, he was able to walk with ease.

Wu Yang muttered under his breath, "It looks like I'm the 100th person to step on the Jade Platform."

Wu Yang smiled faintly and said, "I'm glad I didn't step on the Jade Platform in the Illusion Trial, or else I would've failed."

As he stepped on the Jade Platform, he was welcomed by Wu Li and Lin Xiaoqing.

At the same time, another figure appeared behind them, and that was Wu Feng.

"Wu Feng is really here? He wasn't just a part of my Illusion Trial?" Wu Yang was stunned.

"Brother Yang, I'm happy for you. You are now the 100th person," Wu Li congratulated.

Wu Feng smiled and said, "Long time no see, Little Brother. I didn't expect to see you in the Heavenly Spirit Empire."

Wu Yang shook his head and said, "Indeed, Big Brother. I didn't expect to see you here either. Everyone thought that you died, after you didn't return back home all these years."

Wu Feng laughed and said, "I was really busy, I really couldn't return back home."

Before they could continue their conversation, a domineering voice interrupted them. "Good, now that we have gathered 100 people, I will let everyone know some details about the Secret Realm."

Everyone else stopped talking and looked towards the source of the voice. It was a puppet that looked like a middle-aged man with a stern face and a black robe. It had a Soul Palace Realm cultivation, its aura so powerful that it could defeat everyone here.

"As you can see, everyone here has a varying cultivation level, with the lowest being the Core Formation Realm, and the highest being the Soul Palace Realm. This was intended."

"You can't pass the Illusion Trial if you are not at least a Core Formation Realm cultivator."

"As for the Nascent Soul Realm and Soul Palace Realm cultivators, their cultivation will be suppressed to the perfection stage of the Core Formation Realm."

"I will give everyone an hour to prepare themselves for the Secret Realm, knowing all of this. In this time, you can also form a faction."

The puppet then continued, "There is one thing that you must know, everyone here will be teleported randomly in the Secret Realm. Be careful, since you might not be teleported at the same location with your faction members."

After the puppet finished giving out the information, everyone started to plan.

There were 2 Soul Palace Realm cultivators, 53 Nascent Soul Realm cultivators and 45 Core Formation Realm cultivators.

Naturally, Nascent Soul Realm and Soul Palace Realm experts had a bigger advantage than Core Formation Realm cultivators, even if their cultivation was suppressed, since their mastery of the techniques were vastly superior.

Xu Long, Feng Lian, and the rest of the Nine Divine Stars Sect disciples walked over to Wu Li and his group.

Xu Long's team had fifteen people in it, including himself and his fiancée, Feng Lian. They walked with confidence and grace, showing their status and strength.

They came to a stop in front of Wu Li's group and gave them a look of disdain.

"Pah! Is this the trash that dared to flirt with the Boss' fiancée?" Lei Ming, one of Xu Long's lackeys sneered as he looked at Wu Li.

"What a joke! A lowly middle stage Core Formation Realm trash also has the audacity to covet the Boss' woman!" Hei Mo, another one of Xu Long's lackeys also mocked.

Feng Lian smiled coldly and said to Wu Li, "Scum, if you kneel down and beg for mercy, I might only cripple your arms and legs. Don't say that I didn't warn you!"

Wu Li scoffed and said, "Who do you think you are? Do you want to fight me again? Did you forget how you lost in just one move against me?"

Feng Lian's face turned white as she remembered how she lost in just one move against Wu Li in the Yellow Chrysanthemum Restaurant.

Seeing his fiancée's face, Xu Long's face turned gloomy. "Trash, if you just obediently kneel down and apologize, I promise that I will only cripple your arms and legs. Otherwise, I will make you wish you were dead in the Secret Realm!"

Wu Li took a deep breath and asked, "Are you sure you want to be enemies with me?"

Xu Long and his lackeys burst into laughter at Wu Li's arrogance.

"Haha! This trash isn't even an Inner Disciple of the Extreme Jade Sword Sect, and he still dares to be arrogant."

"Even if he was, he would still have to kowtow and beg for forgiveness. After all, the Nine Divine Stars Sect is also one of the Five Great Sects of the Jiaolong Continent!"

The Five Great Sects of the Jiaolong Continent were: the Extreme Jade Sword Sect, Eternal Flame Sect, Iron Fist Sect, Nine Divine Stars Sect, and the Mystic Moon Sect. They were the most powerful and influential forces in the continent, and their disciples were all elites among elites.

There was also the Jade Orchid Sect, which was a female-only sect, but because it had few disciples and was low profile, it was not considered one of the Great Sects.

"Ha! I'll crush you inside the Secret Realm. I want to see how strong you are when your cultivation is suppressed to the perfection stage of the Core Formation Realm!" Wu Li sneered and said arrogantly.

He was confident that even though he was only at the middle stage of the Core Formation Realm, he could defeat his opponent.

Hei Mo snorted and said, "Kid, don't blame me for being impolite! Since you dared to insult our Boss, I want to see if you have any skills to back up your words."

Hei Mo didn't intend to kill or severely injure Wu Li, he just wanted to teach him a lesson. He was confident that the puppets wouldn't intervene.

Hei Mo was a cultivator at the late stage of the Core Formation Realm.

He had practiced his Serpent's Fang Fist for years, a technique that mimicked the venomous strike of a snake. He gathered his Qi in his fist and unleashed it with a hissing sound.

Boom! Boom!

Explosions echoed as Hei Mo's fist met Wu Feng's palm, the latter easily blocking Hei Mo's fist with his palms. Wu Feng's palms were like iron walls, not letting Hei Mo's Qi penetrate them.

Hei Mo staggers back, his face twisted in disbelief. "You…"

Wu Feng smiles warmly, "Fellow Daoist, I don't think this is good behavior."

He says calmly, as if he was under no pressure.

Wu Li watches from the side, his eyes shining with admiration. He thinks to himself, "Wu Feng is amazing. He can easily handle a late stage Core Formation Realm cultivator with just his palms."

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