Chapter 366: A Difficult Trial

Gu Jue’s illusion was ruthless, and its words were piercing. Still fired up from her fight with the Cangming Illusion, Lu Sangjiu found herself getting riled up again.

"Shut up!"

She barked, a violent aura rising from her, tinged with a palpable killing intent...

In her outburst, Gu Jue’s illusion was quickly dispatched.

The next to appear was Xie Ningyuan.

Just like Gu Jue, Xie Ningyuan’s first words were a venomous accusation.

"Do you have any idea how much I suffered because of you? Yet you knew full well and still hid your identity to use me. You’re despicable and shameless!"

Without a doubt, Xie Ningyuan was far more capable of provoking Lu Sangjiu than Gu Jue was.

So, without even waiting for him to say another word, Lu Sangjiu’s face turned to ice as she slashed her blade at him. "Shut up!"

"Heh, have you flown into a rage out of shame? Is it because you know we’re telling the truth? You feel guilty, your conscience is troubled, and you’re unwilling to face your own ugliness. Is that it?"

Lu Sangjiu clenched her jaw slightly, saying nothing, but the violent glint in her eyes intensified.

At the same time, the others were all facing much the same situation.

Talking illusions gradually began to appear—first rivals and enemies, then family and friends. Regardless of the relationship, the illusions could always find an angle to attack them and destabilize their minds.

As the battle wore on, they grew increasingly exhausted. This fatigue, in turn, led to emotional instability, making them more irritable.

And so, without even realizing it, everyone was gradually enveloped by a shroud of Evil Qi.

This Evil Qi was somewhat similar to what happens when an Immortal Cultivator has Fallen into Demon, but the Evil Qi was more potent. It didn’t just affect Immortal Cultivators; even Demon Cultivators could fall prey to it.

If one’s mind was eroded by it, they would gradually lose their sense of self and become lost in a haze of slaughter.

This level tested not only their combat prowess but, more importantly, their mental resolve.

If their resolve wasn’t firm enough, they would eventually devolve into mindless killing machines, doomed to wander here forever as nourishment for the illusions.

The insidious nature of this Heart Inquiry trial lay in its gradual progression, which made it easy for one’s defenses to be breached.

Take Lu Sangjiu, for example. Her mental resolve was already considered very stable. After all, she had been through so much and had twice reaffirmed her sense of self against the temptations of the Pseudo Heavenly Dao.

Yet even so, she had still been unconsciously eroded by the Evil Qi.

An unknown amount of time passed, and it wasn’t until her consciousness began to dim that the sheer exhaustion caused her to jolt awake with a sudden realization.

’...Something’s not right!’

Even as she continued to fight her opponent, she managed to look inward and discovered the Evil Qi that had unknowingly gathered within her body.

Realization dawned on her, and she hurriedly shouted, "Master, snap out of it! Don’t let the Evil Qi take control!"

Her sharp cry snapped several others, who had also begun to grow dazed, back to their senses.

Alerted by her warning, they all realized the source of the problem.

Everyone immediately employed their own techniques, steeling their mental resolve while using external power to drive out the Evil Qi that had invaded their bodies.

For the moment, they managed to stabilize the situation, but the sheer volume of fighting one thousand illusions was still a massive test.

Although the illusions weren’t individually powerful, their sheer numbers could wear a person down to death.

Lu Sangjiu was in a relatively better state. She could draw upon both Spiritual Energy and Demonic Qi, giving her greater endurance relative to her cultivation level, so she was still holding on.

The others, however, were mostly just gritting their teeth and forcing themselves to endure. The only thing keeping them going was the number they were counting in their heads.

It was a painful and lengthy process. As they grew more exhausted, the Evil Qi they had just managed to drive away would sweep back in again.

Only by continuously battling the illusions while keeping their mental resolve steady could they truly complete this level’s trial.

Lu Sangjiu held an advantage on both fronts, so she was the first to complete the task of killing one thousand illusions.

When she finished, her entire body felt sore and weak, as if her limbs no longer belonged to her.

She had intended to rest for a moment before helping the others, but then she heard the voice sound out once more.

"Lu Sangjiu has completed this level’s trial. You will now be transported to the next level. Please prepare."

Lu Sangjiu was taken aback. She hadn’t expected that the first person to finish the trial would be the first to be sent away.

In her haste, she only had time to shout, "I’ll wait for you on the next level!"

A flash of white light flared, and in the blink of an eye, Lu Sangjiu arrived in a new place.

This place was also dark, but it was slightly different from before. The darkness here was purer, dark simply because of the absence of Light.

Lu Sangjiu took out a Luminous Pearl, illuminating her surroundings.

The space wasn’t large, roughly the size of an ordinary bedroom. It was completely empty, save for a single door opposite her.

Then, the voice sounded again. "The second level will open only when everyone has arrived and is ready. You may rest here for now."

Lu Sangjiu finally understood. ’So this place is like a waiting room. They probably sent me up ahead of time just to keep me from interfering with the others’ trials, right?’

’After all, even though the rule says you have to do the killing yourself, if I just helped from the sidelines without landing the final blow, I could still take a lot of pressure off them.’

Thinking of the others, Lu Sangjiu’s mood grew heavy again. ’I wonder how they’re doing now?’

’A trial of that intensity... I’m really worried about them.’

But at this point, worrying was useless. All she could do was wait here for the outcome.

While she waited, she used Spirit Stones and Demon Essence Stones without restraint, recovering her stamina while seizing every moment to cultivate.

’There’s too much I need to do. I don’t have time to grow bit by bit anymore. I have to get stronger, faster.’

After an unknown amount of time, a second person was finally transported up.

Unsurprisingly, the second to arrive was Luo Linlang.

If everyone were at the same cultivation level, the current Luo Linlang was undoubtedly second only to Lu Sangjiu among the five.

So, it was no surprise that she was the second one to fight her way through.

She wasn’t injured, but the drain on her Spiritual Power and stamina was enough to leave her in a sorry state. After being transported up, she collapsed onto the ground, spread-eagled and panting heavily, with no regard for her image.

Lu Sangjiu asked anxiously, "How are Master and the others?"

"They’re... fine," Luo Linlang said between gasps. "They’re injured, but they should be able to make it through."

This was largely thanks to their constant battles throughout the Forbidden Land, which had toughened them up. If this had been before, even Luo Linlang’s chances would have been slim.

Sure enough, it wasn’t long before the others arrived on the second level one by one, their arrival times not far apart.

However, Shen Yuzhao and Li Qiancheng were clearly in a much sorrier state, covered in injuries large and small. They had to recuperate for a long time before they began to recover.

Then, the voice sounded once more. "Next, I will explain the rules of the second level..."