Before long, Song Changsheng’s na began to spread...
Only a few people remained in the Dao Discussion Hall, Old Ghost Bai among them. He had sent the disciples of the Celestial Vein Sect away but remained rooted to the spot, his intentions unclear.
Song Changsheng, still inside the Illusion Realm, had no idea he had already taken first place. He only knew he had to persevere no matter what. He didn’t dare let his guard down for a mont, terrified he might end up handing the Green Sky White Jade Pill over to soone else.
Gritting his teeth, he managed to push through another quarter of an hour. This not only caused Old Ghost Bai to re-evaluate his potential, but also made Zhan Tianxia see Song Changsheng in a new light.
But as ntioned before, no one at the Foundation Establishnt Stage could break through the Fourth Illusion Realm, and Song Changsheng was no exception. As ti passed, the aura around him grew chaotic, yet he showed no signs of waking. He was willing to risk damaging his Dao Heart just to hold on a little longer.
The others didn’t know why, but Zhuang Yuechan, who had been watching from the shadows, could no longer bear it. She turned to Mu Guibai beside her and said, "Master, Fellow Daoist Song has already won. If this goes on, his Dao Heart will be severely damaged. Please, Master, intervene."
Mu Guibai nodded, ford a hand seal, and whispered a few words.
Zhan Tianxia, who was maintaining the Array, frowned sharply. His piercing gaze shot toward the space outside the hall. A mont later, he finally nodded and, with a wave of his hand, halted the Array.
As the Array stopped, the Illusion Realm naturally dissipated, and Song Changsheng was roused from his trance.
He glanced around, slightly dazed. Noticing the hall was now empty, he seed to realize sothing and whipped his head around to look at Zhan Tianxia.
Zhan Tianxia’s expression was impassive. He walked up to Song Changsheng and said, "You are the one who persisted to the very end of this trial. This is the Green Sky White Jade Pill, the reward I promised."
With that, he handed a cyan Jade Bottle to Song Changsheng and strode out of the hall without another word, much less a threat.
’Now that’s the real Zhan Tianxia, soone who disdains pointless verbal disputes.’ Watching Zhan Tianxia depart, Song Changsheng tightened his grip on the Jade Bottle.
The insidious nature of the Third Illusion Realm was how it blurred the lines with reality. Every sensation was shaped with incredible realism; it even perfectly simulated the bitter taste in his mouth. It had almost fooled Song Changsheng completely.
But a fake was still a fake. The real Zhan Tianxia would never have acted that way. It was precisely this thought that made Song Changsheng realize sothing was wrong, allowing him to break through the Third Illusion Realm.
Even now, the mory made Song Changsheng break out in a cold sweat. If he had accepted the overtures from Dai Zichen or Old Ghost Bai in the Illusion Realm, or if he had stepped out of the Dao Discussion Hall’s doors, he would have been lost in the illusion forever.
It was incredibly dangerous; the slightest misstep would have turned him into one of the living dead. Thankfully, his loyalty to his family made him refuse the offers from the two Major Sects. Then, wanting to wait for Zhuang Yuechan’s return, he had stopped himself just as he was about to leave.
It was fair to say that luck had played a huge part in his success.
But the result was good, and that’s what mattered. A heartfelt smile spread across Song Changsheng’s face as he looked at the Green Sky White Jade Pill in his hand. ’With this, the Old Patriarch’s injuries can finally be healed ahead of schedule.’
"I am Bai Zhuo, an Elder of the Celestial Vein Sect. May I ask who your master is, young friend?" Old Ghost Bai said, a strange light glinting in his eyes as he stared intently at Song Changsheng.
Song Changsheng naturally knew who this man was and dared not be disrespectful. He replied deferentially, "This junior, Song Changsheng, pays his respects to Elder Bai."
"Your surna is Song? Are you a mber of the Moon Viewing Song Clan?" Old Ghost Bai gave Song Changsheng a surprised look. He had assud this was the disciple of so Purple Mansion Independent Cultivator, not a mber of a re Foundation Establishnt Family.
"That is correct." Song Changsheng wasn’t surprised. Though the Song Clan had declined, it had been quite reputable in the Daqi Cultivation World a century ago. After all, you could count the number of Purple Mansion Influences in the entire Daqi Cultivation World on two hands.
Upon receiving a firm yes, Old Ghost Bai’s eyes glead. ’A small clan, excellent!’
He did his best to appear amiable, stroking his beard and saying in a profound tone, "I wonder, young friend, if you would be interested in becoming my disciple and joining the Celestial Vein Sect?
"With your talent and my support, reaching the Purple Mansion Realm will be as easy as reaching into a bag to grab sothing. Even becoming a Golden Core Master wouldn’t be out of the question."
Just as in the Illusion Realm, Old Ghost Bai extended an olive branch, though this ti he wanted to take Song Changsheng as his own disciple.
Staring at the grand promises being dangled before him, Song Changsheng was completely unmoved; he had already been through this once in the Illusion Realm. The only tricky part was figuring out how to refuse tactfully without offending Old Ghost Bai.
Just then, Zhuang Yuechan entered the hall. She first bowed to Old Ghost Bai before turning to Song Changsheng. "Congratulations on taking first place in the trial, Fellow Daoist Song. My master requests your presence."
Song Changsheng gave her a surprised look. Zhuang Yuechan winked playfully. He imdiately took the hint and replied solemnly, "I will go at once."
Then he turned back to Old Ghost Bai, his expression apologetic. "Elder Bai, you see...?"
Old Ghost Bai laughed heartily. "Since the Great City Lord has summoned you, young friend, you should go. But what I’ve told you concerns your entire cultivation path, so please consider it carefully. The gates of the Celestial Vein Sect will always be open to you."
"Thank you for your generous offer, Elder." Song Changsheng put on an appropriately grateful expression before following Zhuang Yuechan out of the hall.
Once they were a safe distance away, Song Changsheng formally cupped his hands to Zhuang Yuechan and said with a smile, "Thank you for your help, Fellow Daoist Zhuang. That’s the third ti today."
"The third ti?" Zhuang Yuechan asked, puzzled.
Song Changsheng briefly recounted what had happened in the Illusion Realm. Only then did Zhuang Yuechan understand what he ant. She smiled lightly. "In that case, it seems Fellow Daoist Song owes Yuechan a rather large favor."
"If Fellow Daoist Zhuang asks anything of , as long as it doesn’t violate my principles, I will not refuse!" Song Changsheng wasn’t one to take advantage of others. Zhuang Yuechan had helped him ti and again; even if she didn’t ask for anything in return, he couldn’t simply ignore it. He had to make his stance clear.
"Then you’d better be careful, Fellow Daoist Song. You might end up owing this favor for a lifeti, you know," Zhuang Yuechan said with a laugh.
"Then I’ll just have to repay you in my next life," Song Changsheng blurted out without thinking.
Beneath her veil, Zhuang Yuechan’s face suddenly flushed red. She shot Song Changsheng a glare, then turned away. "Who waits until the next life to repay a favor? You have no sincerity at all! I have to report back to my master. I’m leaving."
With that, she hurried away, not giving Song Changsheng a chance to say another word.
Song Changsheng rubbed his nose, completely baffled. He thought about it for a mont but couldn’t make sense of it. In the end, he just shook his head and started walking toward his residence. He had gained a lot today; his ntal Realm had risen to the Foundation Establishnt Great Perfection level. He had a feeling it wouldn’t be long before his cultivation level broke through, so he had to consolidate his foundation properly.
Besides, he needed to get the Green Sky White Jade Pill in his hand back to the clan as soon as possible.
After he left, Zhuang Yuechan, who hadn’t actually gone far, erged from a corner. She touched her cheek beneath her veil. The blush hadn’t faded, and her skin still felt faintly hot to the touch.
’I know he didn’t an it like that, so why am I blushing...?’
——————
Upon returning to his residence, Song Changsheng first contacted Song Xiantu. He asked him to use the general store’s long-distance communication altar to ssage the clan and have them send soone over. Worried the ssage might be intercepted, he didn’t tell Song Xiantu the specific reason.
With that taken care of, Song Changsheng, sensing his Cultivation was at a bottleneck, began to practice in seclusion. Thanks to the improvent in his ntal Realm, the breakthrough process was exceptionally smooth. After only three days, he drew upon the dense Spiritual Qi in the bamboo dwelling and successfully broke through to the Mid-stage Foundation Establishnt!
Several days later, he received a ssage from Song Xiantu. The clan had sent soone.
...
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