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Chapter 149 - Chapter 149: Breakthrough – Reinforcements from the Clan

A flicker of pain crossed Xia Qingxue's usually cold and expressionless face, but it was quickly replaced by a surge of anger. 

Dai Zichen's expression changed slightly. He muttered inwardly, 

"Qingxue cultivates the Mystic Heaven Ice Soul Technique. Her heart has long been frozen solid. Ordinary illusions shouldn't affect her at all. What kind of illusion could cause such intense emotional fluctuations?" 

Worried something might go wrong, Dai Zichen sent a voice transmission to Zhan Tianxia: 

"City Lord Zhan, I think it's best to awaken Qingxue now. She is the personal disciple of our sect's Grand Elder. Her Dao heart must not be damaged." 

Compared to risking harm to this precious disciple, losing to an unknown nobody didn't seem that hard to accept. 

But Zhan Tianxia remained unmoved. He looked at the two figures inside the formation and said: 

"Elder Dai, you're mistaken. The Heart-Questioning Formation exists to temper one's Dao heart. How can one truly be tempered without facing adversity? 

Since she is a genius, she should undergo even more trials to be truly reborn. There's no need to worry, I have full control of what's happening inside the formation." 

"But…" 

Dai Zichen was anxious, but since Zhan Tianxia was actively maintaining the formation, he dared not intervene rashly for fear of causing irreparable damage. 

Another quarter of an hour passed. Xia Qingxue's expression gradually returned to calm, and her aura stabilized. She had broken through the third illusion! 

Seeing this, Dai Zichen finally let out a quiet sigh of relief. Meanwhile, Bai Laogui couldn't help but curse inwardly if her Dao heart had crumbled, Heavenly Vein Sect had a hundred ways to turn her into a cripple. What a pity she made it through at the last moment. 

Now, both of the remaining participants had entered the fourth illusion, and Song Changsheng's performance was growing more dazzling by the minute. As the personal disciple of Golden Crow Sect's Grand Elder, it wasn't surprising that Xia Qingxue could persist this long; in fact, it was expected. 

But Song Changsheng was different. He rarely appeared in the public eye. With none of the Lieyang Sect disciples or Hai Dongping present in the Dao Discussion Hall, no one on site even knew who he was. 

"No Foundation Establishment cultivator can break through the fourth illusion." 

Someone remarked. 

"At this point, it's all about who can last longer. But if you ask me, your Golden Crow Sect girl might not be able to hold on much longer." 

Bai Laogui stroked his thin goatee, chuckling darkly as he spoke to Dai Zichen. 

"Hmph, so what? Your Heavenly Vein Sect disciples were knocked out long ago." 

Dai Zichen shot back coldly, not backing down one bit. 

"Hehe, true, our disciples weren't up to par. But if one of our true heirs were here, taking the top prize would be as easy as flipping a hand." 

Bai Laogui lied without batting an eye after all, since their top disciple wasn't present, he could brag as much as he liked. 

Dai Zichen's face darkened. If not for Xia Qingxue still being in the formation, he'd have stormed off on the spot. 

Just then, Xia Qingxue's aura suddenly grew erratic again, showing clear signs of collapse. Dai Zichen's heart clenched. He was about to forcibly intervene and pull her out, but Zhan Tianxia was even faster. 

With a sweep of his wide sleeve, a burst of lightning surged, and Xia Qingxue's figure reappeared outside the formation. 

Once free from the illusion, her aura quickly stabilized. Dai Zichen, who had been on the verge of panic, finally let out a deep sigh and bowed gratefully: 

"Thank you, City Lord Zhan." 

"No need to be polite. I just didn't want to cause trouble for Senior Brother." 

Zhan Tianxia replied coolly, casting a sideways glance at him. 

His blunt tone made Dai Zichen feel a little awkward. If something had happened to Xia Qingxue today, not only would he have borne the responsibility, but even the Grand Elder of Golden Crow Sect might have gone to Tianyin Mountain to raise a fuss. 

Dai Zichen hurried to Xia Qingxue's side and asked in a low voice, 

"Qingxue, how are you feeling?" 

Xia Qingxue opened her eyes and shook her head lightly. 

"I'm fine. The Heart-Questioning Formation certainly lives up to its name. If City Lord Zhan hadn't acted in time to shatter the illusion, things might have gone badly for me." 

She swept her beautiful gaze across the hall and was surprised to see someone still inside the formation. 

"Who is that?" she asked softly. 

"No idea. I've never heard of him before. Maybe he's some hidden genius from an unknown clan," 

Dai Zichen replied, shaking his head. 

Upon hearing Dai Zichen's words, Xia Qingxue simply nodded, showing little interest. Had the other person not lasted longer than her in the Heart-Questioning Formation, she wouldn't have spared him a second glance. 

"Shall we wait here, or...?" Despite being an elder, Dai Zichen still sought her opinion on every matter, which only deepened Bai Laogui's curiosity about Xia Qingxue. 

"There's nothing more to see unless he can break through the fourth illusion," Xia Qingxue said coolly. After a brief moment to adjust her breath, she stood up and walked straight out of the great hall without looking back. Dai Zichen gave Zhan Tianxia a respectful nod before leading the Golden Crow Sect disciples in pursuit. 

At this point, the ownership of the Azure Sky White Jade Pill had already been decided, and the remaining participants had no desire to stay. Most of them had suffered some degree of Dao-heart damage and needed to return quickly to recuperate. 

There was still a grand celebration to attend during the City Lord's birthday feast. If their injuries kept them from participating, they would have serious regrets. 

As the crowd dispersed, many began asking around about Song Changsheng's identity, only to be stunned by what they found. He turned out to be nothing more than the young patriarch of a Foundation Establishment clan, without even a single Purple Mansion cultivator backing him. 

In no time at all, the name "Song Changsheng" began to spread. 

Back in the Dao Discussion Hall, only a handful of people remained, including Bai Laogui. He had already instructed his Heavenly Vein Sect disciples to leave, yet chose to stay behind himself, his purpose unclear. 

Inside the illusion, Song Changsheng remained unaware that he had already secured first place. All he knew was that he had to keep holding on. He didn't dare let his guard down, not even for a moment, afraid the Azure Sky White Jade Pill might end up in someone else's hands. 

So, gritting his teeth, he forced himself to endure another full quarter of an hour. His perseverance caused Bai Laogui to reevaluate his potential and even made Zhan Tianxia silently raise his estimation of the young man. 

But as previously stated, no Foundation Establishment cultivator had ever broken through the fourth illusion, and Song Changsheng was no exception. As time dragged on, his aura grew increasingly unstable. And yet he still didn't awaken, choosing to endure even at the risk of damaging his Dao heart. 

Others may not have noticed the reason behind it, but from her hidden vantage point, Zhuang Yuechan couldn't watch any longer. She whispered to the man beside her, 

"Master, Fellow Daoist Song has already won. If this continues, his Dao heart will suffer great harm. Please help him." 

Mu Guibai gave a small nod, formed a hand seal, and quietly recited an incantation. 

Zhan Tianxia, who was maintaining the formation, suddenly furrowed his brow. His sharp gaze turned toward the outside of the hall. After a few seconds, he finally nodded and waved his hand, stopping the formation. 

As the formation shut down, the illusion was dispelled, and Song Changsheng was forcibly awakened. 

Dazed, he looked around at the empty hall. Realization slowly dawned on him, and he snapped his head toward Zhan Tianxia. 

Zhan Tianxia wore his usual composed expression. Walking over to him, he said, 

"You were the last one standing in this trial. This is the Azure Sky White Jade Pill, the reward I promised." 

He handed a jade-green vial to Song Changsheng and strode out of the hall without another word, no threats, no speeches. 

"Now that's more like the real Zhan Tianxia, someone who disdains petty verbal games." 

Watching him walk away, Song Changsheng silently tightened his grip on the jade bottle. 

The third illusion was terrifying precisely because it merged seamlessly with reality, every sensory detail was perfectly replicated. Even the bitter taste lingering on his tongue felt real, nearly fooling him. 

But fake was still fake. In reality, Zhan Tianxia would never behave in such a way. Realizing this was what helped Song Changsheng break through the third illusion. 

Even now, thinking back on it made cold sweat bead on his forehead. If he had accepted Dai Zichen's or Bai Laogui's recruitment, or if he had walked out the doors of the Dao Hall, he would have been lost in that illusion forever. 

That would have been disastrous, one wrong step and he'd have become a living corpse. Thankfully, it was his emotional ties to his clan that kept him from accepting either offer. And he decided to wait for Zhuang Yuechan's return, which made him pull his foot back from the threshold. 

In the end, it could only be said that luck played a significant role in his victory. 

Still, the outcome was good. Looking at the Azure Sky White Jade Pill in his hand, a genuine smile spread across Song Changsheng's face. With this, his grandfather's injuries could finally be healed ahead of time. 

"I am Bai Zhuo, an elder of the Heavenly Vein Sect. Might I ask, young friend, who your master is?" 

Bai Laogui's eyes glittered with interest as he stared intently at Song Changsheng. 

Naturally aware of who he was dealing with, Song Changsheng didn't dare to be disrespectful. 

"This junior is Song Changsheng. Greetings, Senior Bai." 

"Song? You wouldn't happen to be from the Wangyue Song Clan, would you?" 

Bai Laogui's eyes flickered with surprise. He had assumed the boy was trained by some rogue Purple Mansion cultivator, but never expected him to come from a mere Foundation Establishment clan. 

"Indeed," Song Changsheng replied calmly. 

He wasn't surprised by Bai Laogui's reaction. Though the Song Clan had fallen into decline a hundred years ago, it still held some standing within the Great Qi cultivation world. After all, the number of Purple Mansion powers in the region could be counted on one hand. 

After receiving confirmation, a glint flashed even brighter in Bai Laogui's eyes. Small clans are the best! He thought to himself. 

He did his best to appear kind and approachable, stroking his beard with an air of wisdom as he said, 

"Young friend, would you consider taking me as your master and joining my Heavenly Vein Sect? 

With your talent and my guidance, achieving the Purple Mansion Realm would be as easy as reaching into a sack. 

And even forming a Golden Core wouldn't be out of reach." 

Just like in the illusion, Bai Laogui once again extended an olive branch. This time, though, he wanted to take Song Changsheng as his disciple. 

Looking at the grand promises being painted before him, Song Changsheng felt no stir of emotion; after all, he had already experienced this once in the illusion. The real dilemma now was how to politely decline without offending Bai Laogui. 

Just then, Zhuang Yuechan walked into the hall. She first bowed to Bai Laogui, then turned to Song Changsheng and said, 

"Congratulations to Fellow Daoist Song for seizing the top spot in the trial. My master has requested your presence." 

Song Changsheng looked at her in surprise. Zhuang Yuechan playfully winked at him, and he instantly understood, replying solemnly, 

"I'll depart immediately." 

He then turned toward Bai Laogui with an apologetic expression, 

"Senior Bai, what do you think?" 

Bai Laogui laughed heartily, 

"Since the City Lord himself has summoned you, by all means, you should go. But do think carefully about what I said, your future path is at stake. The gates of Heavenly Vein Sect will always be open to you." 

"Many thanks for your generous offer, Senior," Song Changsheng replied with an appropriately grateful look before leaving the hall alongside Zhuang Yuechan. 

Once they were out of earshot, Song Changsheng gave Zhuang Yuechan a respectful cupped-fist salute and said with a smile, 

"Thank you, Fellow Daoist Zhuang. That's the third time you've helped me today." 

"Third time?" Zhuang Yuechan looked puzzled. 

So, Song Changsheng briefly explained what had happened in the illusion. Only then did Zhuang Yuechan understand what he meant. She smiled and said, 

"So by that logic, you owe me a pretty big favor, huh?" 

"Anything within reason, as long as it doesn't go against my principles, I, Song Changsheng, won't hesitate." 

Song Changsheng wasn't someone who liked to take advantage of others. Even though Zhuang Yuechan had never asked for repayment, he felt it was important to express his gratitude clearly. 

"Then you'd better be careful," Zhuang Yuechan said with a grin. "You might end up owing me for life." 

"In that case, I'll repay you in the next life," Song Changsheng blurted out instinctively. 

A faint blush appeared on Zhuang Yuechan's face beneath her veil. She gave him a playful glare and turned away. 

"What kind of reply is that? No sincerity at all. I need to go report back to my master, I'm leaving!" 

And with that, she hurried off, not giving Song Changsheng a chance to say anything more. 

Song Changsheng rubbed his nose, baffled. He pondered for a moment but couldn't figure it out, so he simply shook his head and headed back to his residence. 

Today's gains had been significant; his state of mind had risen to the peak of the Foundation Establishment Realm. He had a strong feeling that a breakthrough was imminent. He needed to consolidate his foundation. 

And most importantly, the Azure Sky White Jade Pill had to be delivered back to his clan as soon as possible. 

After he left, Zhuang Yuechan, who had already departed, quietly emerged from a corner of the hall. She touched her cheek beneath her veil, still flushed and faintly warm. 

"I know he didn't mean it that way, so why did I still blush…" 

... 

Upon returning to his residence, Song Changsheng first contacted Song Xiantu and had him use the supply shop's long-range communication altar to send a message to the clan, asking them to send someone over. He deliberately left out any details to avoid the risk of interception. 

Once everything was in place, feeling his cultivation at its peak, Song Changsheng began his closed-door training. Thanks to his elevated state of mind, the breakthrough process went unusually smoothly. With the dense spiritual energy of the bamboo pavilion, he broke through to mid Foundation Establishment in just three days! 

Several days later, he received word from Song Xiantu that the clan had sent someone, and they had arrived. 

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