Volume 3, Chapter 461 – She Reached the Fifth Realm

In just a few more days, they would be able to see the Empress.

With that, half of their goal would be accomplished.

Yet Chi Xiyan found that upon hearing this news, her heart didn’t feel nearly as excited as she’d imagined.

Back when she’d first planned to see the Empress, her greatest goal had been to use the Empress’s hand to resolve the crisis facing the Chi family.

But now, after three years of tempering herself within the Illusory Heart Realm, Chi Xiyan realized she no longer cared that much about the Chi family.

Controlling the Chi family and becoming its head had merely been a life goal she’d once set for herself.

And now, Chi Xiyan already possessed something far more wonderful.

Naturally, her mindset had shifted somewhat.

Of course, even setting the Chi family aside, she still had to see the Empress in order to deal with the lingering threat of the Lingxiao Sword Sect.

Especially now that she’d successfully passed the selection as a maiden candidate, there was no room left for regret.

Thinking of this, Chi Xiyan reached over and quietly tugged at Lu Zhuxin’s hand.

Lu Zhuxin felt Chi Xiyan’s small gesture. She tilted her head slightly, only to find the woman’s face still wearing that same solemn expression.

Still, Lu Zhuxin could roughly guess what this woman was thinking.

So she quietly returned a mischievous smile.

The two of them followed Wei Ziqing out of the pavilion together.

From a distance, Chi Xiyan and Lu Zhuxin spotted Bu Lianshuang standing in the flower garden.

That girl was carrying a wooden food box, her face still wearing that same gentle smile.

She respectfully addressed Wei Ziqing. “Noble Consort, it seems we have two more sisters entering the palace together with us.”

Lu Zhuxin looked at Bu Lianshuang and also caught the concern in the little wolf’s eyes.

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Now that I think about it, I don’t believe I ever found Bu Lianshuang’s dream within the Illusory Heart Formation.

These past few days, while maintaining Chi Xiyan’s dream, Lu Zhuxin had also tried searching for Bu Lianshuang’s dream. But it had all been for nothing.

Lu Zhuxin guessed that Bu Lianshuang had probably broken free of the dream before she’d had the chance to find her.

Otherwise, Lu Zhuxin was rather curious what this little wolf’s dream would have looked like.

Reading the shallow layers of someone’s consciousness in their dream could also help her understand that person more deeply.

“This is Bu Ruyan, Miss Bu.” Wei Ziqing introduced her to the two beside her. “She was the first to break free of the Illusory Heart Realm.”

“Bu Ruyan, these two are the young ladies of the Cheng family, Cheng Lixia and Cheng Lixue.”

Chi Xiyan looked at the woman before her in surprise.

Only after personally going through the Illusory Heart Formation herself could one truly understand just how absurd it was.

The woman standing before her had actually been the very first person to break through the illusory trial.

“It seems the first person to finish the trial and the last person to finish the trial are both here now.” Lu Zhuxin muttered under her breath.

She hadn’t deliberately lowered her voice, and everyone present heard her mutter.

Bu Lianshuang’s eyes curved, and she laughed softly. “Little Sister Cheng flatters me too much. Being the first to come out was simply good luck.”

Wei Ziqing looked at the three beauties before him, each with her own distinct style, and couldn’t help but sigh inwardly.

According to what the immortal sister had said, my fated one is among these three.

Now that all three young ladies had passed the selection and were standing together, the question was which one was truly his fated one.

Thinking of this, Wei Ziqing instinctively glanced sideways at Lu Zhuxin.

After observing her for so long, he still felt that this girl, who appeared the youngest and had the lowest cultivation among them, was the one hiding the most.

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Could it be you? My fated one?

Lu Zhuxin suddenly felt a chill run down her spine. She turned her head and found herself meeting Wei Ziqing’s warm, tender gaze.

Hiss … he’s hardening!

His fist is hardening!

For some reason, Lu Zhuxin felt an urge to hit someone.

But then she thought of what she still needed to accomplish, and pushed the feeling back down.

She lifted her chin slightly, meeting Wei Ziqing’s gaze, and curled her lips upward.

What the hell was he looking at?

She smiled sweetly and shyly lowered her head.

Wei Ziqing smiled too.

He’d seen countless women in his time. What kind of woman couldn’t he see through?

This girl surely didn’t think she was hiding the emotions in her eyes that well, did she?

Heh, what an interesting woman.

Just then, the ring on his finger gave a slight tremor. “That girl has quite some nerve. She’s already successfully been chosen as a maiden attendant, yet she still dares to flirt so openly with the reigning Noble Consort?”

Wei Ziqing’s expression stiffened.

Only he could hear the voice from within the ring.

“Immortal sister, you guessed wrong.”

“Hm?”

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“This girl isn’t flirting with me at all,” Wei Ziqing explained. “She’s actually cursing me out.”

“ Tsk … so she belongs to the bickering couple type?”

Wei Ziqing felt somewhat helpless. “By saying that, immortal sister, are you confirming she really is my fated one?”

“Hard to say. You’ll have to verify it yourself.”

Wasn’t that the same as saying nothing at all?

Wei Ziqing shrugged helplessly.

He had to admit, of the three women before him.

Chi Xiyan was mature and composed, Bu Ruyan was gentle and sweet.

But to Wei Ziqing, both these personas felt somewhat dull. The most interesting one was this Chi Muxue, who looked pure and adorable on the surface but was actually scheming underneath.

This kind of beauty, full of character, better suited his taste.

Wei Ziqing coughed lightly and patiently explained to the three girls who might one day become his fated ones.

“The Illusory Heart Trial has little to do with talent.”

“The difficulty of passing the Illusory Heart Realm’s trial is only related to one’s temperament and past experiences.”

“The longer the Illusory Heart Realm lasts, the more the trial taker has gone through.”

“If someone ultimately cannot pass through the Illusory Heart Realm, that means their temperament isn’t suited to bear great responsibility.”

“And that is precisely why this palace chose the Illusory Heart Formation as the final round of selection.”

“So that’s how it is. Thank you for the guidance, Noble Consort.” All three nodded at once.

Wei Ziqing smiled with satisfaction. “The three of you will be summoned by His Majesty and will enter the palace together.”

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“Stay in the flower garden these next few days. You may also get to know one another better.”

The three nodded again.

Not long after, Chi Xiyan carried her belongings to the chamber Wei Ziqing had arranged for her.

Naturally, Chi Muxue wasn’t staying in the same place as her.

And just as Wei Ziqing had said, she truly did need to seclude herself and absorb what she’d gained over these past few days.

Nine days in the Illusory Heart Trial, nine years of a single dream in that lifetime; what it had given her was far from just a simple shift in mindset.

The surging spiritual energy and the restless heat in her blood both revealed the abnormalities within her body.

Once inside the sealed chamber, Chi Xiyan finally had the chance to look inward at her own dantian and purple mansion.

“Just as I thought… my instincts weren’t wrong…”

Chi Xiyan could see that her dantian and purple mansion had already become completely different from before.

That surging spiritual power, that spiritual platform constantly bursting with divine energy, made one thing perfectly clear to her.

“I am now… a Fifth Realm cultivator.”

Chi Xiyan wasn’t particularly surprised that she’d managed to break through to the Fifth Realm.

Even though the boundary between the Fourth and Fifth Realms had trapped countless cultivators, she’d always had confidence she could break through to the Fifth Realm.

What truly shocked Chi Xiyan at this moment, however, was the manner in which she had broken through.

“Inside the Illusory Heart Formation, it was only after dual cultivating with Muxue, absorbing and replenishing each other, that I broke through to the Fifth Realm.”

“Why can I carry this cultivation over into reality as well?”