The selection grounds remained silent.
Countless eyes were fixed upon Feng Li, while the words Yun Li had spoken continued echoing through the minds of everyone present. The Myriad Dao Sect wished to invite him into the sect. Such a statement would have already been shocking enough if it had come from an ordinary elder of the number one sect, yet the person standing before Feng Li was Yun Li, the personal disciple of the Myriad Dao Sect Master. More importantly, he had openly stated that his master had sent him specifically to Emerald City for the purpose of finding Feng Li.
Feng Li did not immediately answer. His expression remained calm as he looked toward Yun Li, but numerous thoughts had already begun moving through his mind. The Myriad Dao Sect was not an unfamiliar name to him. Even within Emerald City, where most people would never have the opportunity to come into contact with the true major powers of the cultivation world, its name carried a weight that could not be ignored. It was the number one sect, a place countless cultivators dreamed of entering, yet Yun Li had appeared before him and personally extended an invitation without Feng Li having even completed the selection he had originally come to participate in.
He had not yet decided how he intended to respond when Yun Li's voice suddenly appeared within his mind.
"Oh, by the way, Mei Yao said hi."
Feng Li's eyes changed almost imperceptibly. The selection grounds remained exactly as they were, and no one around them appeared to have heard those words. Yun Li's expression remained completely unchanged, yet Feng Li understood immediately that the voice had not entered his ears. It had appeared directly within his consciousness.
Mei Yao.
For the first time since Yun Li had revealed his identity and purpose, Feng Li's thoughts became genuinely unsettled. Yun Li knew Mei Yao. No, judging from the way he had spoken, merely knowing her was not enough. He had specifically delivered her greeting. That meant there was some form of contact between them, or at the very least, between Mei Yao and the Myriad Dao Sect.
Before Feng Li could ask how Yun Li knew her name, the young man revealed a faint smile. It was not the smile of someone who intended to immediately explain himself. Instead, it appeared as though he had deliberately thrown those few words into Feng Li's mind and was now content to leave him with the questions they created.
Then Yun Li turned away.
The sudden change in his attention caused the representatives of the various powers to become alert once more. Until that moment, everyone had been waiting for Feng Li's response to the invitation, yet Yun Li no longer appeared interested in forcing an answer from him. His gaze swept calmly across the people responsible for the selection before eventually settling upon the blue-robed man who had been overseeing the examinations.
"It seems this matter has caused quite a bit of inconvenience," Yun Li said in a relaxed tone. "The talent measuring platform has failed to produce a result, and you have yet to determine what should be done regarding Feng Li's qualification to continue."
No one immediately responded. The blue-robed man maintained a respectful expression as he explained that the matter remained unresolved. The platform had failed during Feng Li's examination, and while no one could reasonably declare that Feng Li had failed, allowing him to proceed without a valid result would also create complications regarding the rules of the selection.
Yun Li nodded slightly as though he understood the difficulty. His gaze then moved across the representatives of the different sects and powers gathered around the selection grounds. "In that case, if everyone is willing to give me this face and allow Feng Li to participate in the final examination, consider it a favour owed to you by the Myriad Dao Sect."
The moment those words were spoken, the silence that followed became considerably heavier than before. The people present understood the meaning behind them. Yun Li had not ordered anyone to allow Feng Li to participate. He had not used his identity as the disciple of the Myriad Dao Sect Master to force the organizers into submission. He had simply asked them to give him face.
Yet the favour he offered in return belonged to the Myriad Dao Sect.
For the smaller powers present, such an opportunity was something they might never encounter again in their entire existence. Even the major sects could not simply dismiss the value of being owed a favour by the number one sect. Several representatives exchanged glances, silently considering Yun Li's words, while the expressions of the Black Jade Sect members gradually became increasingly unpleasant.
The Black Jade Sect elder remained seated with a dark expression. Only a short time ago, he had attempted to use the rules of the selection to remove Feng Li. He had insisted that without a valid result from the talent measuring platform, Feng Li could not be allowed to continue. Now Yun Li was standing before everyone and offering a favour from the Myriad Dao Sect simply to ensure that Feng Li would participate in the final examination. The difference in treatment was impossible to ignore.
After a period of silence, one of the representatives finally stood and stated that considering the unusual circumstances surrounding the talent measuring platform, allowing Feng Li to take part in the final examination was not entirely unreasonable. Another representative soon expressed his agreement. Feng Li's examination had not produced a valid result because of an abnormal event involving the platform itself, and since the matter could not immediately be resolved, allowing him to participate in the final test while his qualification remained under consideration was a solution they could accept.
The discussion gradually shifted. The Black Jade Sect elder's expression became even colder when he realized that the situation was no longer developing in the direction he had wanted. However, after Yun Li's appearance, openly opposing the decision would accomplish nothing. More importantly, the representatives had already begun agreeing among themselves.
Eventually, the blue-robed man announced that Feng Li would be permitted to participate in the final examination. His talent examination would remain unresolved, and his final status would be determined after the selection had concluded and the circumstances surrounding the measuring platform had been properly investigated.
The participants immediately began discussing the decision among themselves. Feng Xue released a quiet breath beside Feng Li. Although she had attempted to remain calm throughout the confrontation, she had clearly been worried that Feng Li would be removed from the selection because of something completely beyond his control. Now that the matter had been temporarily resolved, some of the tension disappeared from her expression.
Yun Li finally turned back toward Feng Li. "You can give me your answer after the final test," he said.
Feng Li continued looking at him, his thoughts still occupied by the words Yun Li had transmitted earlier. He wanted to ask about Mei Yao, but the expression on Yun Li's face made it clear that he had no intention of explaining anything at that moment. Instead, Yun Li simply smiled before moving away.
The matter of the Myriad Dao Sect's invitation had been temporarily placed aside, but Feng Li knew that it had not disappeared. If anything, the questions surrounding Yun Li's arrival had only increased.
Before long, the people responsible for the selection began preparing for the final examination. The remaining participants were directed toward another section of the selection grounds. Unlike the previous tests, there was no platform surrounded by coloured stones or a place where cultivation strength could be measured directly. Instead, an enormous circular formation had been revealed beneath the surface of the ground.
The formation covered a wide area, ancient patterns extending across the stone floor in complicated layers. Numerous lines intersected one another before eventually converging toward the center, where five incense holders had been placed in a straight row. The participants gradually became quiet as they looked toward the formation.
The blue-robed man stood before them and explained that the final examination was known as the Illusory Mind Test. Unlike the previous examinations, this test would not measure cultivation or talent. Once the formation was activated, every participant would enter an illusory space created directly by the formation.
"The illusion you experience will not necessarily be the same as the illusion experienced by another person," the blue-robed man explained. "The formation will interact with your consciousness and create an illusory world according to your own mind. What you encounter within that space will depend upon yourselves."
Several participants immediately revealed serious expressions. The blue-robed man continued explaining that there were two ways to successfully complete the examination. The first was to see through the illusion and discover the truth behind the illusory space. Once a participant was able to completely understand that they were trapped within an illusion and find the path beyond it, they could walk out of the illusory realm and complete the examination.
"The second method is endurance," he continued. "Those who are unable to break through the illusion may remain within it and withstand whatever they encounter. If your mind remains intact until all five incense sticks have burned completely, you will also be considered to have passed."
The five incense holders remained unlit. However, the blue-robed man soon explained something that caused several participants to become increasingly serious. The five incense sticks would not be lit simultaneously. Each would be ignited after a different interval, meaning those trapped within the illusion would not know exactly how much time remained until the examination was complete. There would be no simple method of counting the passing of time.
A person could believe they had endured for an extremely long period while only a short time had passed outside. Another could believe that only moments had passed while their consciousness had already been trapped within the illusion for far longer than they realized.
"The illusion cannot directly kill you," the blue-robed man said. "However, do not underestimate it. If your mind collapses within the formation, you will be removed from the examination."
The atmosphere became considerably heavier. This was no longer a test of who possessed the greatest cultivation or the highest talent. Strength could not necessarily protect someone whose own mind became their greatest weakness.
The participants were instructed to enter the formation.
Feng Li walked forward with Feng Xue beside him, while the remaining young cultivators gradually took their positions throughout the enormous circular space. Among them, Feng Li noticed Wan Lin standing some distance away. Wan Lin had remained relatively quiet throughout the earlier disturbance, and even during the conflict involving the Black Jade Sect, he had not openly involved himself. As the genius representing the Misty Sect, however, his presence had not gone unnoticed. He carried himself with the calm confidence of someone who understood his own abilities and did not need to constantly demonstrate them before others.
Feng Li briefly looked toward him before withdrawing his gaze. The participants eventually settled into position.
Outside the formation, the elders and representatives began taking their places around its edge. Yun Li had also moved away from the center of the selection grounds, standing quietly among them. His attention rested upon the formation, but from time to time, his gaze shifted toward Feng Li.
No one knew what he was thinking.
The five incense sticks remained untouched until the formation began to activate. A deep sound echoed beneath the ground, and the ancient patterns carved across the stone slowly began shining. Spiritual energy immediately flowed through the countless lines surrounding the participants, while a strange sensation gradually spread through Feng Li's consciousness.
Feng Li closed his eyes.
When he opened them again, the selection grounds had disappeared.
The first incense stick had been lit.
Outside the formation, the participants remained standing exactly where they had been before. To the people watching, nothing seemed to have changed except for the subtle expressions appearing across the faces of those trapped within the formation. Yet within their minds, entirely different worlds had already begun to appear.
Feng Li stood alone before a vast mountain range.
Ancient peaks stretched endlessly beneath a sky filled with drifting clouds, while rivers flowed between the mountains and disappeared into the distant horizon. The spiritual energy within the surroundings was rich, so rich that the entire world seemed alive.
For an ordinary cultivator, such a place might have appeared completely real.
Feng Li did not move immediately. He simply stood there and allowed his gaze to move across the world before him.
A cold wind passed through the mountains, causing the trees to sway gently. Leaves fell through the air and disappeared beneath the narrow paths winding through the forest. Everything appeared natural. Every sound, every movement, and every sensation existed exactly as it should.
Perhaps too perfectly.
Feng Li slowly looked around.
The illusion had not immediately attempted to attack him. It had not filled the world with terrifying beasts or placed him in the middle of a battlefield. Instead, it had created a peaceful world and waited.
Feng Li understood why.
A weak illusion attempted to deceive the senses. A stronger illusion attempted to deceive the mind. This formation was doing something far more complicated.
It was waiting for him to accept what he saw.
Only after a person accepted an illusion as reality could that illusion begin controlling the direction of their thoughts.
Feng Li began walking.
His footsteps carried him along the mountain path as the world around him continued changing naturally. He passed through forests and crossed narrow paths between enormous cliffs. Birds moved through the sky above him, while the sound of flowing water echoed through the valleys. Nothing appeared unusual.
Yet Feng Li's expression gradually became colder.
The world had memories.
But it did not have life.
That distinction was difficult for ordinary people to understand.
The illusion could recreate sound. It could recreate movement. It could recreate the appearance of a living world. But Feng Li had lived through experiences that had taught him the difference between something that merely resembled reality and reality itself.
He stopped.
A bird landed upon a branch nearby. Its feathers moved gently in the wind as it turned its head and looked toward him.
Feng Li looked back.
Then he raised his hand.
The bird suddenly disappeared.
The branch remained.
The forest remained.
The wind continued moving.
Yet something within the illusion had changed.
A faint ripple spread through the world around him.
Feng Li's eyes narrowed.
The illusion had responded to his awareness.
He could now feel something beneath the surface of the world surrounding him. The mountains were still mountains, but they were no longer simply mountains. The rivers were still flowing, yet beneath their movement existed countless strands of spiritual consciousness connected to something deeper.
The entire world was constructed.
Feng Li slowly closed his eyes.
His consciousness began spreading outward.
The moment it touched the boundaries of the illusion, the peaceful mountain world immediately changed. The sky darkened, and the distant mountains trembled as a powerful force descended from above.
The illusion had realized that he was no longer accepting it.
Feng Li opened his eyes.
The world around him began shifting.
The mountains disappeared.
The sky fractured.
The peaceful forest was replaced by scenes that moved rapidly before him, attempting to force his consciousness toward different memories and emotions. Faces appeared. Voices echoed. Places from his life emerged one after another.
The Feng Clan.
Emerald City.
People he had encountered.
Words he had heard.
The illusion searched through the surface of his mind, attempting to find something that could pull him deeper into its control.
Feng Li remained motionless.
The scenes changed again.
This time, the illusion became considerably more dangerous. It attempted to create loss. It attempted to create regret. It attempted to create things that could cause his mind to hesitate.
But every time one world began forming around him, Feng Li saw the same thing.
A construction.
A false reality created from fragments.
His gaze gradually became colder as he looked toward the countless scenes attempting to surround him.
"You are trying too hard."
The words echoed through the illusory world.
For the first time, the formation seemed to respond violently.
The entire space shook.
Feng Li slowly raised his head. Above him, the false sky stretched endlessly.
He could now see it.
Not with his physical eyes.
With his consciousness.
Countless invisible lines extended throughout the illusory realm, connecting every mountain, every river, every person, and every memory created by the formation. The illusion had attempted to hide its foundation beneath the world it constructed, but once Feng Li stopped focusing upon what existed inside the illusion and began looking beyond it, the entire structure became visible.
There was no need to find an exit.
The exit existed because the illusion existed.
Feng Li's consciousness suddenly expanded.
The illusory realm immediately trembled.
Outside the formation, the first incense stick continued burning. The people watching the participants had already begun noticing changes. One young cultivator was sweating heavily, his face pale as though he were experiencing something terrifying. Another had fallen to his knees despite remaining physically unharmed. A third repeatedly clenched his fists, his body moving slightly as though he were fighting an enemy no one else could see.
Several elders watched carefully.
The illusion had only just begun, yet the differences between the participants were already becoming obvious.
Feng Xue remained standing quietly within the formation, but her expression had become increasingly serious. Although no one could see what she was experiencing, her fingers had slowly tightened into fists at her sides.
Wan Lin remained remarkably calm. His face showed almost no change, though a faint crease had gradually appeared between his brows.
Then the formation suddenly shook.
Several elders immediately raised their heads.
A powerful fluctuation had appeared from within Feng Li's position.
The representatives looked toward one another in surprise, their expressions changing as they attempted to understand what was happening.
"What is happening?" one of them finally asked.
No one immediately answered.
Yun Li's eyes narrowed slightly.
Within the illusory realm, Feng Li stood beneath the fractured sky. The countless invisible lines forming the foundation of the world had already become completely exposed before his consciousness.
The illusion attempted to reconstruct itself.
A mountain appeared.
Feng Li's consciousness pressed against it.
The mountain shattered.
The world attempted to create another scene.
Feng Li looked toward it.
The scene collapsed.
For the first time, the formation was no longer controlling the illusion.
The illusion was struggling to survive Feng Li's awareness.
The pressure surrounding his consciousness continued to increase as the formation attempted to force him back into the false world. The sky darkened completely, while countless scenes rushed toward him from every direction. Memories, emotions, voices, and images continued forming and collapsing as the illusory realm desperately attempted to find something capable of shaking his mind.
Feng Li did not retreat.
His mind had endured things far beyond what this formation could understand.
This illusory space was powerful, but it had been created to test cultivators who were still walking their first paths through the cultivation world.
Feng Li was not merely looking at the illusion.
He was looking at the hand that had created it.
The moment his consciousness reached the foundation of the formation, the entire illusory realm became silent.
Feng Li took a step forward.
The world shattered.
A sound like the breaking of countless mirrors echoed through the darkness as the false sky split apart and the mountains disappeared. The rivers ceased flowing, while every false image collapsed into fragments of light before those fragments themselves were swallowed by an overwhelming darkness.
Outside the formation, Feng Li suddenly opened his eyes.
The first incense stick had not yet finished burning.
The entire selection grounds became silent.
For a moment, Feng Li simply stood there.
Then the ancient formation beneath his feet released a deep tremor. Cracks of light rapidly spread through the section surrounding him before gradually fading away.
The elders stared.
Several representatives revealed expressions of complete disbelief.
The Illusory Mind Test had been broken.
No one immediately understood what they had witnessed. Feng Li had not simply awakened from the illusion, nor had he endured it. He had not followed the path created by the formation and found an exit.
He had destroyed the illusory space surrounding his consciousness and forcibly broken free.
The first person to complete the final examination had appeared.
And the first incense stick had not even finished burning.
The silence surrounding the selection grounds continued for several moments before the blue-robed man's expression finally changed. Even he appeared uncertain how to describe what had happened.
Yun Li, however, simply revealed a faint smile.
Feng Li looked toward him.
The questions surrounding Mei Yao remained in his mind.
But before either of them could speak, another change occurred within the formation.
The first incense stick finally burned completely.
The second incense stick was lit.
The remaining participants continued standing within their own illusory worlds. Some had already begun showing signs of exhaustion. One participant suddenly fell to the ground, his consciousness unable to withstand whatever the formation had created for him, and the elders immediately activated a portion of the formation to remove him from the examination.
Another soon followed.
Yet Feng Xue remained standing.
Her face was pale, but her eyes remained tightly closed. Whatever she was experiencing, she had not allowed it to break her.
Time continued passing.
The second incense gradually burned.
The tension among the people watching increased as several participants were removed from the formation one after another, while others continued standing completely still, trapped within worlds that no one else could see.
Wan Lin's expression had changed slightly. For the first time, his calm appearance showed signs of strain.
Then, just as the second incense stick completely burned away, Feng Xue suddenly opened her eyes.
A powerful clarity appeared within them.
She looked around the selection grounds for a moment as though she needed time to understand where she was before realizing that she had returned.
The second person had completed the examination.
Feng Xue had passed.
The people from the different powers immediately looked toward her with surprise. Completing the Illusory Mind Test after only two incense intervals was already an extraordinary achievement.
Feng Xue slowly looked toward Feng Li.
When she saw that he was already standing outside the illusion, her expression changed.
For a brief moment, she simply stared at him.
Then Feng Li revealed a faint smile.
Feng Xue immediately understood.
Although she had no idea what Feng Li had experienced within the illusion, the fact that he was already awake told her that he had completed the test before her.
She did not appear disappointed.
Instead, a faint expression of relief appeared on her face.
She had passed.
That was enough.
The third incense stick was eventually lit.
The selection grounds became increasingly quiet as fewer participants remained within the formation. Those who had originally appeared confident now stood completely still, trapped within worlds no one else could see. The examination had revealed something that cultivation strength alone could never determine. A powerful body did not necessarily mean a powerful mind. A person capable of defeating enemies outside the formation could still become helpless when forced to confront their own consciousness.
Wan Lin remained among those still trapped.
His expression was calm once more.
Whatever illusion had attempted to hold him had clearly failed to completely overwhelm him. As the third incense continued burning, a faint fluctuation finally appeared around him. His expression changed slightly before his eyes opened.
Wan Lin slowly looked around the selection grounds.
The representatives immediately turned their attention toward him.
The third person had completed the examination.
Wan Lin.
The Misty Sect genius had emerged after Feng Li and Feng Xue.
His gaze briefly moved toward the two of them. He first looked at Feng Xue before his attention eventually settled upon Feng Li.
Wan Lin's expression did not reveal much.
However, Feng Li could clearly see the faint curiosity within his eyes.
Three people had now completed the final examination.
The order was clear.
Feng Li.
Feng Xue.
Wan Lin.
Yet the selection had not ended.
Other participants remained trapped within the illusory formation, and the five incense sticks had not yet completed their cycle.
Feng Li stood quietly beside Feng Xue as the examination continued. His mind, however, was no longer entirely focused upon the selection.
Yun Li's voice continued echoing within his thoughts.
Oh, by the way, Mei Yao said hi.
Feng Li slowly turned his head.
Yun Li stood some distance away, watching the remaining participants with the same calm expression he had worn throughout the examination.
Perhaps sensing Feng Li's gaze, he turned slightly.
Their eyes met.
Yun Li smiled.
Feng Li's expression remained calm.
But he had already made one decision.
After the final examination was over, Yun Li would have to explain exactly why Mei Yao had suddenly appeared in the conversation.
And Yun Li, judging from the faint amusement in his eyes, seemed to know exactly what Feng Li was thinking.