Illusionary Kill Zone

"Silence!"

Hong Guang shouted, stepping before the crowd. "Line up according to yesterday's groups. Each layer's group shall array themselves in sequence."

Ye Lan stepped forward. Yesterday, aside from the eight who had advanced directly to observe the ceremony, she was the only one who had passed the trial of the eleventh layer.

To face an entire illusion realm alone meant an observation seat was already as good as in her grasp.

Next came the several cultivators who had passed the tenth layer, including Li Qingwan, five in total.

Then came those who had passed the ninth layer, ten people in total.

The remaining forty individuals had only passed the eighth layer and would enter the same illusion realm together.

If the first three groups were all assumed to secure observation seats, then only six spots remained for the forty cultivators of the fourth group to contest.

"The final twenty-two observation seats will be decided in this round. Once you enter the illusion realm, slaying any Ghost Soldier or Ghost General will accumulate Martial Fortune."

Hong Guang extended his hand, sending sixty-four command tokens flying through the air to the crowd.

"This token will automatically record the Martial Fortune you earn. Besides slaying Ghost Soldiers and Ghost Generals, you may also rapidly increase your Martial Fortune by seizing the tokens of others."

"The illusion realm will remain open for seven days. After seven days, you will be ranked by your Martial Fortune from highest to lowest, and the top twenty-two shall claim the observation seats. Do you understand?"

"Understood!" the cultivators below shouted in unison.

Hong Guang's gaze swept over the crowd, confirming the count. Then, together with the remaining three Condensed Origin cultivators, he began injecting True Essence into the Western Expedition Illusion Stone.

The next moment, Yang Lingrui felt that familiar pulling sensation-the very same force he had experienced when encountering the inheritance site within the Mayfly Treasure Ground.

The figures of the young cultivators floated into the air, drawn into the spiritual treasure.

Only after ensuring the illusion realm was stable did the four elders withdraw their techniques.

"This thing is truly troublesome. Every activation consumes so much True Essence. It really brings a pang of regret."

"Stop complaining. How many people beg for this heavy task? Count your blessings."

"Brother Hong Guang, are there any outstanding talents among these children?"

Hong Guang reflected for a moment before replying, "Those two young ladies from the academy are quite exceptional. As for the others, they are rather ordinary."

"True. Those with real skill already secured their qualifications in the first round. These remaining youngsters will, at most, grow into second-rate figures in the future."

While the Condensed Origin cultivators conversed outside, the first death within the illusion realm was already drawing near.

"You must be Yang Lingrui."

Upon entering the illusion realm, everyone had been randomly scattered to various locations.

Yang Lingrui had barely awakened and slain two Ghost Soldiers when another cultivator sought him out directly.

The illusion realm was vast; for this person to locate him so precisely, they had undoubtedly employed some tracking method.

"How did you find me?"

"Hehe, there is no need for you to know that. A clever man has his own ways."

The man carried himself with absolute certainty, as if Yang Lingrui were already at his mercy. "There is no grievance between us, but unfortunately, it seems you have offended someone you shouldn't have."

"That person has placed a bounty. Your head is currently worth a complete path to the Condensed Origin realm!"

"Heh, I didn't realize my head was so valuable," Yang Lingrui sneered.

"Indeed it is. Therefore, today, I must ask Fellow Daoist to die!"

Boom!

In an instant, the cultivator's aura surged violently, breaking directly from the eighth layer to the ninth layer of Qi Gathering!

His figure flashed forward, his palm tracing a streak of black flame. Within two breaths, he had closed the distance to Yang Lingrui's chest.

Yang Lingrui's eyes flared with panic. Faced with this sudden, lethal strike, he seemed to lose his composure entirely, frozen with helplessness.

Bang!

The palm strike landed squarely on Yang Lingrui's chest.

An irrepressible delight bloomed on the man's face. He had never expected such immense luck on this excursion, securing a Condensed Origin path with such ease.

Yet, in the very next breath, his eyes suddenly froze.

"This strike... why does it feel wrong?"

In his confusion, he watched as the Yang Lingrui before him began to dissolve into mist.

"Not good, this is-"

Chi-

Before he could fully comprehend the situation, a bloody hole pierced through his forehead.

With eyes wide in astonishment, his body collapsed slowly to the ground.

Then followed the standard procedure familiar to anyone dealing with the Yang family.

Yang Lingrui searched the corpse and retrieved a compass-like item-a high-quality spiritual treasure suited for the late Qi Gathering stage.

As soon as he channeled his spiritual power into it, the needle trembled twice before pointing straight back at him.

Yang Lingrui studied the device for a moment, then extracted a wisp of blood qi from the mechanism.

Deprived of the guiding blood qi, the needle began to spin aimlessly.

"So that is how it is. No wonder his tracking was so precise."

Armed with this treasure and a strand of his blood qi, the cultivator had clearly come prepared.

And judging by the man's words, a public bounty had been issued.

That meant there was certainly more than one person within this illusion realm seeking his life.

To want his life so desperately as to offer a Condensed Origin path as a reward-only that mad dog Su Lingyun was capable of such a display.

"Heh, lacking the courage to strike at He Shenglai, you choose to vent your frustrations on me instead? Young Master Su truly sets the standard for pettiness under heaven."

Yang Lingrui chuckled softly, rubbing his fingertips together to summon a pale, translucent talisman.

"People lining up to deliver wealth-such a rare occasion does not present itself often. Let them come then. However many there are, I shall claim them all this time!"

The illusion realm was to remain open for seven days. For the first three days, Yang Lingrui did nothing but traverse the perimeter of the realm in wide circles.

Based on the intelligence relayed by his Hiding Wind in Qi technique, he confirmed that aside from the first cultivator he had slain, five others within the realm were actively seeking his head.

Yang Lingrui's movements were designed to draw them together, sparing him the tedious chore of hunting them down individually.

Sure enough, by the second day, the five reached a consensus. They began driving Yang Lingrui from different directions, attempting to corner him into a dead end.

Yang Lingrui played along seamlessly, letting them guide his path until he reached a desolate, empty stretch of land near the very edge of the illusion realm.

Believing their trap had sprung, the five accelerated their pace, swiftly closing the encirclement.

Yet, when they arrived at the clearing, they were stunned to find the area completely abandoned.

"How can this be! Why is he not here?"

Alarmed, the five hastily retrieved their compasses to investigate.

But upon injecting their spiritual power, they found the needles inert, utterly incapable of discerning any direction.

"Could it have been a clone?"

"What absolute nonsense! He is a mere Qi Gathering cultivator without a drop of True Essence to his name. What could he possibly use to manifest a clone?"

"Search the area thoroughly again, separate from one another."

The five immediately initiated a meticulous search of the region.

Yet despite their strenuous efforts, they found nothing. They even upturned portions of the earth, but their search yielded no trace.

Yang Lingrui stood quietly a short distance behind them, a faintly glowing talisman held between his fingers.

At this moment, his form resembled a spectral phantom, entirely imperceptible to both the naked eye and divine sense.

This was the exact efficacy of the Spirit Concealment Talisman, a treasure at the perfection level of the Qi Gathering stage.

With this talisman shielding him, the five could not hope to touch a single hair on his head.

"They have finally gathered together."

Yang Lingrui had waited patiently for a long time, watching for the moment the five would converge.

Just as they met, Yang Lingrui's other hand retrieved a deep blue talisman, its internal aura already fluctuating violently.

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