Inside the Western Expedition of Illusion Stone at the royal martial academy,

The final day of the illusion had arrived, with little time remaining before its closure.

Yang Lingrui weighed the token thick with martial fortune in his hand. Securing a spot in the top six of his group seemed certain now.

Though he’d lost three days initially, relying solely on hunting ordinary ghostly soldiers and generals to climb the ranks had been risky.

But luck had favored him this time.

Over the next four days, he’d not only stumbled upon multiple mutated ghost generals carrying triple martial fortune but also discovered a dying ghost king in a valley.

A single ghost king’s martial fortune equaled a hundred ordinary ghost generals. Yang Lingrui, as if blessed by fate, finished it off with two strikes and claimed the massive fortune for his token.

“By the Immortal Master’s grace, I am humbled.”

Yang Lingrui had always considered himself average in luck, but this sudden windfall surely stemmed from the treasure gifted by the Immortal Master.

A flash of light erupted from his token, dissolving his body into stardust as he returned to the real world.

Of the sixty-four cultivators who’d entered the illusion seven days prior, only forty-eight remained.

The fate of the missing sixteen needed no explanation.

Whether slain by ghostly soldiers or rival cultivators, it no longer mattered. No one would ask.

In the illusion, you took responsibility for your own life and death—a basic rule all entrants accepted.

“Your efforts are acknowledged.”

Hong Guang swept his giant hands, gathering the tokens. He then announced the rankings based on martial fortune.

First place went unquestionably to Ye Lan, who’d dominated the illusion alone.

Her cultivation level and combat strength far surpassed the rest. The only possible challenger was Li Qingwan, now ranked second.

“Brother Yang!” Xu Jianan hissed. “Li Qingwan’s terrifying! Her group had four others near the peak Ninth Level, yet she crushed them all with just eighth level cultivation! What prodigy could ever tame someone like her?”

Yang Lingrui chuckled. “Brother Xu, many cultivators pursue the Dao without worldly attachments. Perhaps Young Miss Li is one of them.”

“True, true,” Xu Jianan mumbled, then gaped as Yang Lingrui’s name flashed on the list.

“Songshan Yang Family, Yang Lingrui—seventh place.”

“What the hell?!” Xu Jianan blurted. “Brother Yang, you’ve been hoarding fortune in silence! Not a single hint!”

“Just good luck,” Yang Lingrui replied, waving dismissively.

Even the surrounding cultivators stared at him, eyes wide with disbelief.

“If I recall correctly, wasn’t he ranked only fortieth on that list?”

“The first round didn’t show anything special. Was he holding back?”

“The Songshan Yang Family seems favored by the He Family’s leader. This might be our chance to connect with them early.”

While others speculated about Yang Lingrui’s true power, only Ye Lan noticed her usually aloof junior sister Li Qingwan flash a brief smile. The silver-haired girl glanced between Yang Lingrui and Li Qingwan, confusion wrinkling her brow.

“During the list announcement, Qingwan said she already had someone in her heart. Could it be… him?” Ye Lan struggled to believe it, yet that fleeting smile couldn’t be denied. Coincidence or truth? After moment’s hesitation, she shook her head – this ordinary-looking Yang Lingrui with mediocre skills couldn’t possibly have captured Li Qingwan’s heart.

Xu Jianan exhaled heavily upon seeing his thirteenth-place ranking. As the top twenty-two names finished displaying, disappointed murmurs rose from those denied observation area seats.

“Congratulations to our winners!” Hong Guang’s voice boomed. “You’ve proven your worth through two trials!” Turning to others, he added: “The rest may claim rewards from Dynasty Treasury for surviving the illusion. Follow the instructors now.”

The rejected cultivators perked up at this consolation prize, filing out of Pavilion of Feng Tian behind teachers. Meanwhile, Yang Lingrui’s group followed Hong Guang through martial institute grounds.

A glowing barrier parted to reveal dragon-spine mountains – one of Chongtian City’s three ranges, housing royal martial academy’s top officials, elders, and direct disciples. Crowds already waited at the entrance.

Academy’s senior brother Shen Yue relaxed upon seeing Ye Lan and Li Qingwan arrive. “Hmph, she actually qualified,” Xiao Man grumbled nearby, begrudgingly acknowledging Li Qingwan’s skill.

Of thirteen academy participants, three earned seats – matching royal martial academy’s three as hosts. Daoyuanshan and Wanhuamen took two each, while noble clans and smaller sects claimed the remainder. Among thirty winners, only Yang Lingrui and Xu Jianan represented Gathering Qi force.

He Shenglai smirked and beckoned when Yang Lingrui approached. After nodding farewell to Xu Jianan, the young cultivator bowed. “Lord He. Mission accomplished.”

“Good work.”

He Shenglai finished speaking and turned to look at Su Lingyun, who lay feigning sleep on the jade bed. In a drawn-out tone, he said, “Ah, Lingrui, how does that saying go? I can’t quite recall.”

Yang Lingrui followed his gaze and immediately caught on. “Lord He, isn’t it ‘You can’t wake someone who’s pretending to sleep’?”

“Exactly! That’s the one!”

He Shenglai twirled his steel whip while remarking, “Some offered hefty rewards and schemed in shadows, only to end up drawing water with a bamboo basket. Pathetic spectacle.”

With that, he headed back to their mountain with Yang Lingrui. The latter’s survival here meant all Su Family’s chosen candidates had died in the illusion.

“Enough pretending! They’re gone – why linger?” Su Lixue approached from the academy group, addressing Su Lingyun.

“Waiting for you.”

Su Lingyun suddenly opened her eyes with a grin, rolling over to face Su Lixue. The younger woman froze – she hadn’t seen such an unguarded smile from her in years.

But reason screamed warnings: This beast wore human skin. Every gesture was calculated deception!

“Hah! Su Lingyun, you reap what you sow. No one pities your current wretched state.”

Su Lixue threw the words like daggers before turning away. Rather than rejoin the Su Family, she walked with academy peers.

Her abrupt departure made her miss the fleeting disappointment in Su Lingyun’s eyes at hearing “reap what you sow.”

“Return to peak.”

Su Lingyun reclined again, ordering attendants to carry her to the Residence.

That night, meditation eluded Su Lingyun completely. Failed attempts and daytime memories churned until anger simmered beneath her skin, demanding release.

Then she remembered.

“Old Qin! OLD QIN!”

The servant stumbled in after two shouts. “What’s wrong at this hour? Who’s…” He choked back his words upon seeing her thunderous expression. “What’s angered you?”

“Fetch Ye Lan. Now.”

Old Qin paled. “But Lingyun… she’s Young Master Yu’s…”

“I know. Bring her.”

As Qin hesitated, Su Lingyun slapped down a jade token engraved with 云 (Cloud). “The Ye Family’s protection means nothing. Forget Lingyu – in Tiger-Chasing Su Family, he wouldn’t dare challenge me!”

The words “Tiger-Chasing Su Family” made Old Qin’s blood run cold. He grabbed the token with both hands and fled down the mountain.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep