Chapter 671: Chapter 501: Dao Assembly (Part 3)
After chatting for a while, Zhang Mingyu took her leave.
On her way back, she happened to meet Zhang Yuan who had come to escort her, and casually mentioned Qin Ping’an’s illusion technique during their conversation.
Hearing this, Zhang Yuan’s expression slightly tensed, and after a moment of pondering, he slowly said:
"Dharma Master Pan Wu is a distant successor of the Ancestor of Life-Annihilating, inheriting the complete Dao lineage of the Ancestor. It is normal for them to cultivate the Nine Volumes of Illusory Heart."
Zhang Mingyu was taken aback, suddenly realizing: "So that’s how it is!"
...
At the same time, the leaderboard in front of the Testing Tower suddenly lit up.
Several dazzling beams of light shot straight into the sky, as figures clothed in Immortal Mansion magic robes stepped through the air, all of them direct disciples of Dharma Masters.
Their auras were strong, far surpassing the usual prodigies, and upon arriving, they successively challenged the tower, achieving remarkable results.
Qi Mang’s ranking also changed, gradually slipping from first to third, yet still maintaining a top position.
"It’s my turn."
Qin Ping’an nodded to Li Baifeng and Qi Mang, then turned and walked toward the Testing Tower.
Li Baifeng advised: "Husband, be careful, and act within your limits."
Qin Ping’an nodded, and with a flash, he stepped into the Testing Tower.
On the seventh level, Qin Ping’an, in his fluttering green robe, surrounded by illusory mist-like aura, was seen.
With a wave of his hand, he disassembled and reconstructed, weaving reality and illusion into an unsolvable puzzle.
The Guardian struggled within, but could never escape that seemingly unreal illusion realm, ultimately losing its origin and was easily defeated.
The onlookers below the tower exclaimed in surprise at the scene.
"This person’s illusion technique is truly formidable!!"
"Turning false into true, indistinguishable between reality and illusion, truly troublesome!"
Zhang Mingyu also stood watching, her eyes growing more and more astonished as she observed Qin Ping’an’s commanding presence in the tower:
"His application of the Illusory Heart, how is it so exquisite."
"This... this illusion technique is so profound?"
She clearly sensed that the illusory aura circulating around Qin Ping’an, though sharing the same origin as her own practice of the Nine Volumes of Illusory Heart, had a fundamental difference.
It was a finesse more akin to the origin, more commanding of heaven and earth, like rivers merging into the sea, seamlessly and with no hindrance, far beyond what she had learned.
The Nine Volumes of Illusory Heart, within the Yunlu Dao lineage, had undergone the sedimentation of ages, long since giving rise to multiple branches, each evolving into different paths of cultivation.
As a top branch under the Yunlu Dao lineage, the Tianxin Zhang Clan pushed the exploration of the Nine Volumes of Illusory Heart to the extreme.
Generations of the Zhang Clan’s ancestors were devoted to deducing the Nine Volumes of Illusory Heart, pouring all their efforts into uncovering the mysteries deep within the techniques.
There was even a time when a virtually unrivaled existence, Zhang Wuchen, who mastered the Void Refining Twelfth Tribulation, emerged.
Zhang Mingyu had always believed that in terms of the Nine Volumes of Illusory Heart, the Tianxin Zhang Clan was the rightful first.
Yet today...
Inside the Testing Tower.
Buzz——
Qin Ping’an once more employed a subtle technique, and a pale azure illusory aura silently struck down the Guardian’s defenses.
This scene deeply shocked Zhang Mingyu, and a bold thought erupted in her mind like thunder.
Could it be?
Is Qin Ping’an cultivating a legacy more complete and fundamental than the Nine Volumes of Illusory Heart?
...
Quickly, Qin Ping’an reached the eighth level.
"Defeat me to pass!"
The Guardian’s voice was ethereal, as a wave of golden qi swept over, enveloping the entire space around Qin Ping’an.
Qin Ping’an’s expression remained calm, fully employing the Ten Volumes of Illusory Heart, his green robe rustling, and a faint layer of glazed radiance emerged around him.
"Turning false into true, illusions arise from the heart!"
With a shout, the illusion realm around him suddenly exploded, crashing into him!
Buzz——
The world fell into a void, devoid of sound, without light and shadow.
Boom!
Boom!
The massive sound of the collapsing illusion echoed in the void, where earth fire and wind water boiled at the seams of the illusion, and countless lightning bolts tore through the void.
Qin Ping’an’s figure trembled slightly, a trace of blood seeping from his mouth:
"I lost."
Though he had also experienced several lifetimes of illusions, he ultimately failed to realize the Dao Domain.
At this moment, facing the origin Guardian of the eighth level of the Testing Tower, he was ultimately insufficient.
Ding——
The bell of the Testing Tower sounded, and Qin Ping’an’s figure was transmitted out of the tower, temporarily ranked one hundred and third.
Li Baifeng quickly stepped forward, supported his arm, and handed over some Healing Elixir Pills, comforting him:
"Ping’an, you’ve already done very well, you were so close to breaking into the top hundred, just a bit of bad luck."
Qin Ping’an took the pills, utilized the cultivation technique to suppress the chaotic aura within, shook his head calmly:
"No matter, my cultivation is still shallow, reaching the eighth level was already beyond expectations."
"This trial made me see my own shortcomings clearly. I will close myself off for a while to refine and improve."
Qi Mang walked up, patted his shoulder, and praised:
"Well done, your Secret Technique already surpasses others at the same level. Given time, you’ll surely advance further."
Not far away, Zhang Mingyu watched Qin Ping’an’s figure, hesitating slightly, with doubt in her eyes.
She harbored many doubts about Qin Ping’an’s Illusory Dao inheritance, countless questions swirling in her mind, yet she forcefully resisted the urge to inquire further.
She thought to herself:
"Peering into another’s cultivation core is a major taboo in cultivation."
She took out a family communication device and sent her suspicions about Qin Ping’an’s Illusory Dao Technique to Zhang Yuan and Zhang Che separately.
"Let the ancestral masters worry about it."
The moment the message was sent, Zhang Mingyu let out a long sigh of relief.
...
Time passed quietly.
At the core of the Three Extremes Domain, at the intersection of the Three Great Immortal Mansions.
An expansive floating continent stretched across the void.
Above the continent, exquisite pavilions stood in complex rows, and Dao Principle Runes flowed like a river of stars, surrounded by a barrier formed by the combined powers of the three mansions.
Buzz—
The void trembled slightly.
Chen Sheng’s figure appeared out of nowhere within the core palace.
He saw many familiar Dharma Masters, all nodding with a smile as a gesture of recognition.
"Fellow Daoist Pan Wu, it’s been a long time!"
Chen Sheng returned the greeting with a calm tone:
"Fellow Daoist Hong Jue, Fellow Daoist Nine Refining, Fellow Daoist Withered, it’s been a while."
During their casual conversation, a moon-white figure strode from the void—Dharma Master Bai Kang from the Royal Immortal Mansion.
His gaze fell on Chen Sheng, nodding slightly:
"Fellow Daoist Pan Wu."
Chen Sheng returned the gesture.
As time passed, figures continued to appear from the void, some in Daoist Robes, some in Golden Armor, others hidden in the clouds.
Each figure emitted an unfathomable aura, all of them seldom-seen Dharma Master Level Great Powers.
In less than half a stick of incense, dozens of Dharma Masters had gathered here.
Laws intertwined, Heaven and Earth Resonated, even the void was slightly pressed down by this overwhelming aura.
Withered Dharma Master laughed lightly, stroking his beard, his gaze sweeping over the Dharma Masters:
"Such a grand occasion, indeed, has drawn many old friends."
"Do any of you have disciples participating?"
Nine Refining Dharma Master laughed heartily, his voice like thunder:
"Of course! My unremarkable disciple luckily made it into the Domain Competition."
Chen Sheng and Dharma Master Hong Jue stood together in the clouds, looking at the heavenly figures gathering below.
Dharma Master Hong Jue suddenly laughed:
"Fellow Daoist Chen Sheng, your direct disciple Qi Mang is indeed quite impressive, likely to secure a slot in the Treasure Realm."
"Moreover, several of my Inner Sect Disciples made it into the state’s top hundred to participate in the Domain Competition."
"However, the highest ranking is only eleventh in the state competition, likely only running for the sake of participation."
Upon hearing this, Chen Sheng was moved, smoothly shifting to the situation of the Mahayana Treasure Realm.
A hint of understanding flashed in Dharma Master Hong Jue’s eyes as he slowly said:
"The Treasure Realm was left by the Mahayana Venerable, offering a shortcut to Integration for the young ones..."
"For us, the most crucial part is the Origin Marking left behind by the Venerable."
"I took my second step as a Dharma Master by gaining insight in there, enabling my breakthrough."
"Ordinary affairs pertaining to it should be known to you from the classic scriptures you oversee. I won’t elaborate, but I’ll remind you of some critical points not recorded in scriptures..."
Chen Sheng nodded lightly, meticulously remembering these critical points in his heart, and bowed:
"Thank you for the reminder, Fellow Daoist. This has been greatly beneficial."
As they conversed, more and more cultivators gathered at this location.
Auras of outstanding figures from various states rose high, Sect Elders lined up on both sides, expressions solemn.
Boom—Boom—Boom—
Three thunderous, earth-shaking sounds suddenly rang.
Three figures stepped through the air, surrounded by the innate powerful pressure exclusive to Tribulation Crossing Daoist Monarchs, their aura far surpassing all Dharma Masters present.
The figure on the left wore an ice crystal Daoist Robe, it was Daoist Monarch Xuan Ming from the Beiji Immortal Mansion.
The figure in the middle wore a purple-gold Lingxiao Robe, it was Daoist Monarch Jiulong from the Royal Immortal Mansion.
The figure on the right was clad in a thunder robe, it was Daoist Monarch Kong Fang from the Antarctic Immortal Mansion.
The three Tribulation Crossing Daoist Monarchs stood side by side, their gaze sweeping across the audience, instantly suppressing all clamor.
"The Three Extremes Domain Competition is officially underway!"
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