Volume 2, Chapter 85 – Entering the Dream Once More

To be honest, Qi Huang wasn’t entirely sure whether the Ghost Tomato would have any effect against the sedative, but she had no time to hesitate now. Still, before using it, she had to weigh the pros and cons.

Pros: If she used it, her Divine Sense might break through to the Incarnation Realm—or even higher. Of course, there was also a chance it wouldn’t break through, but an enhancement was guaranteed.

Cons: She would lose the juice of the Ghost Tomato, cutting off any possibility of sustainable development. According to The Complete Guide to Bizarre Flora and Fauna in the Cultivation World, this thing was extremely rare. Whether she’d ever encounter another one was a big question mark. Her dreams of farming it would be indefinitely postponed.

If she didn’t use it, she could return to her farming plans and hope to one day become invincible!

Of course, high rewards came with high risks. There was a very real chance her primary consciousness could be devoured by that Spiritual Wisdom Soul, vanishing from the world forever—effectively the same as death.

As for whether her senior sisters would take advantage of her unconscious state… that was such a trivial concern she couldn’t even be bothered to consider it.

“Forget it. As long as I’m alive, anything is possible. If I die, there’s no chance at all.”

After a brief hesitation, Qi Huang made the “wise” choice—to use the Ghost Tomato immediately. In truth, it was simply because she was afraid of dying.

Not daring to delay any further, she groggily pulled out the Ghost Tomato, peeled its skin, and spread it in a bowl on the table. Then, she took out the Tongming Comb to dip into the juice before starting to comb her hair.

“One stroke… two strokes… three strokes… ten strokes…”

Due to her overwhelming drowsiness, her movements were slow, but she persisted stubbornly. After all, she knew that if she failed now, she would cease to exist entirely.

With each stroke of the comb, a familiar cooling sensation surged into her mind. Qi Huang’s consciousness began to clear—she could distinctly feel her Divine Sense strengthening. But in the next instant, she was swallowed once more by the tidal wave of exhaustion.

“Damn it! This thing doesn’t seem to have much effect against the sedative!”

Qi Huang paled in realization. The last time she had used the Tongming Comb, it had relieved mental fatigue—but this time, her body had been affected by a physical sedative, and the comb couldn’t neutralize poison.

Unwilling to give up, she kept combing relentlessly. After dozens of strokes, the Ghost Tomato was completely used up. Though her Divine Sense had grown significantly, it still hadn’t broken through to the Incarnation Realm. And as the effects faded, her consciousness blurred once more.

Rеaⅾ оn КatRеаdіnɡСafе

‘You wretched senior sisters have ruined me!’

Qi Huang cursed silently. Though she didn’t know if she would ever wake up again after this, she still didn’t want her secrets discovered. With great effort, she tidied up the “mess” before collapsing onto the bed in unwilling defeat.

When Qi Huang regained consciousness, she found herself standing in the Honghua Sect’s main assembly hall. Surrounding her were the sect’s top elders, with her master, Xu Mei, standing beside her.

‘Sigh… So I’m dreaming again. Who knows if I’ll stay lucid this time?’

Her mood instantly turned heavy.

“Everyone, the triennial Evergreen Conference will begin again on the fifth of next month,” announced Qin Quan, the sect leader.

Qi Huang glanced around. Everyone’s appearances matched their real-world counterparts, meaning this must be the Evergreen Conference that had just taken place this year.

“Excellent! Truly excellent! With a disciple like Hongling, this kind of opportunity should be held every year, not once every three!”

Elder Ruan spoke excitedly.

“Her progress over the past two years has been rapid. She might even break into the top twenty this time and obtain the Golden Fate Blossom seeds—then our Honghua Sect will never have to worry again!”

Even Xu Mei, who rarely spoke up, voiced her agreement.

“Elders, I also have great confidence in Hongling’s strength, but this time… it won’t be so easy.”

Qin Quan’s expression turned grave as he continued, “I’ve just received news—from now on, the Evergreen Conference will adopt a five-versus-five team battle format, instead of the previous one-on-one duels.”

Rеaⅾ οո ΚatRеαⅾiոgСαfe

“What?! Team battles?!”

The elders exchanged stunned glances, not immediately grasping the implications.

“If it’s a team battle, then this is terrible news for our Honghua Sect. Forget reaching the top twenty—Hongling might not even secure a spot in the state-level Immortal Seed rankings!”

Xu Mei was the first to react, her mature face darkening like a storm cloud.

“Elder Xu, why do you say that?” Elder Ruan asked, puzzled.

“Elder Ruan, how would you assess Hongling’s talent?” Xu Mei countered instead of answering.

“Of course it’s excellent! No—she’s a genius! Reaching the fifth layer of the Unity Realm at fifteen—among cultivators under thirty in Yongning Province, there are probably no more than three who can defeat her!”

“No, Elder Ruan. I can tell you with absolute certainty that no one in Yongning Province can defeat her in a one-on-one duel anymore—not even those prodigies from the Huxiao Sect.”

“Then why are you so pessimistic?” Elder Ruan huffed.

“Elder Ruan, did you forget? The sect leader just said the Evergreen Conference will be team battles now. While no one in Yongning Province can defeat her alone, there are plenty who are just slightly weaker—like those prodigies from the Huxiao Sect. And what about us? Aside from Cheng Hongling, who else do we have? Most of our disciples haven’t even reached the Unity Realm—some are still in the Body Refining Realm!”

“Exactly. That’s what worries me. Hongling may be peerless in single combat, but this time, it’s a team battle. Who can support her? If our Body Refining disciples face the elites of the major sects, they’ll be instantly wiped out—leaving her to fight two, three, even four or five opponents at once. No matter how strong she is, she can’t win against such odds.”

Hearing this, Qi Huang finally understood something she had long wondered about—how her main self had performed in this year’s Evergreen Conference. Judging by the situation, she must have gained nothing, just as Qin Quan said: “No matter how strong, one cannot fight against many”.

“Why would the Immortal Alliance suddenly change a rule that’s been in place for thousands of years?” Elder Ruan asked indignantly, finally grasping the severity of the situation.

“I heard their justification was that a sect’s development depends on the average quality of its disciples, not just one exceptional talent. In other words, even the most gifted individual can’t elevate an entire sect.”

Rеаⅾ on ΚatRеаԁіոɡСafе

Elder Wu interjected, his gaze flickering toward Qi Huang’s body.

“What kind of nonsense is that?! Don’t they always say that good steel should be used for the blade—have they forgotten already?!”

Elder Ruan roared in fury.

“Why are you yelling at me?! I didn’t make the rules!” Elder Wu retorted, aggrieved.

“This is clearly a targeted move against our Honghua Sect! Last time, Hongling eliminated a disciple from the Huxiao Sect, and that Immortal Alliance overseer has marital ties to them!”

“If that’s the case, we should check the rules in neighboring provinces,” Xu Mei suggested.

“No need. The neighboring provinces are still using the old one-on-one format,” Qin Quan answered grimly.

“Then it’s undeniable—they’re singling us out.” Xu Mei clenched her teeth.

“How dare a mere overseer arbitrarily change the rules?! Doesn’t he fear punishment from above? Should we take this to the capital and appeal to the higher-ups?”

“Elder Ruan, use your brain. Why would the Immortal Alliance side with a no-name minor sect like ours over the Huxiao Sect, who holds far more value in their eyes?” Elder Wu scoffed.

“Sigh… We’re too insignificant. We’ll just have to swallow this injustice.” Qin Quan shook his head helplessly.

Even as an observer, Qi Huang could feel the Honghua Sect’s powerlessness. Without connections or backing, they could only submit to others’ rules—a despairing realization.

“Team battles it is, then. I’ll fight regardless. I only have a few years left before I become bait—I must obtain the Golden Fate Blossom seeds.”

Cheng Hongling, who had remained silent until now, finally spoke.

Rеaԁ οո KаtReаⅾіngСαfe

Qi Huang’s vision darkened as the next dream began. This time, she found herself in the familiar provincial-level Evergreen Conference arena, surrounded by a sea of spectators. On the stage, a five-on-five team battle was raging fiercely.

Behind her, the disciples had all changed—except for Wang Zong.

This could only mean that these new disciples had surpassed Ruan Lingyu and Su Qingying in cultivation.

“Isn’t that Fairy Hongling?”

“It’s her! Even though she’s from the Honghua Sect, she made it to 60th place in the last Immortal Seed Rankings—and with such stunning looks too!”

“What a shame. This time, she probably won’t even break 600th place.”

“Why?”

“Can’t you see it’s a team battle now? No matter how strong she is, how many can she fight alone? Does the Honghua Sect have any other decent disciples besides her?”

“Ah, you’re right!”

The crowd murmured, most of them pessimistic about Cheng Hongling’s chances—despite her dazzling performance last time.

“Next match—Team Four versus Team Five!”

As soon as the announcer’s voice rang out, Team Five appeared—five young cultivators from the second-strongest sect in the province stepping onto the stage.

And Team Four… was none other than the Honghua Sect.